United in the Storm
by theslytherinpaladin
Summary: Midoriya Izuku may have saved All Might during the attack at USJ, but in doing so he attracted the attention of the League of Villains. Unable to strike at All Might directly, the League decides to focus on a much easier target. Afterall, how can they ignore someone so completely undefended?
1. Prologue

Kurogiri dropped Shigaraki hard on the floor of the bar they were currently calling their base. Pain burned hot and sharp from where he had been foolish enough to let himself be shot, but Shigaraki paid it little attention. He deserved it after that loss, because _they had failed_. Their perfect plan, ruined.

"You were wrong." The words directed at the TV on the back wall, blank except for its bright white screen, were slow but no less cold. Shigaraki pushed himself to a sitting position, a hand going to his neck. Blood dripped to the floor. "You said All Might was weaker, but he wasn't weak. The game ended too quickly."

A hard voice, muffled slightly by the rising sound of static from the TV, replied. "A slight miscalculation, that's all. You must have patience, Tomura. Greatness cannot be achieved in only one attempt."

"Those low level villains were taken out by a bunch of _students_ ," Shigaraki groaned. "And Noumu didn't even leave a scratch on All Might."

"That is what cannon fodder is for, Tomura," the voice chuckled.

"But Noumu-"

"Yes, what about the noumu? Will you be able to recover it?"

"All Might knocked him out of my range," Kurogiri said, "and I didn't have time to go and find him. He's probably in police custody by this time."

"No matter. We can make more. He may have been no match All Might, but we are on the right track it seems. A little more time and-"

"All Might." Shigaraki croaked, his other hand rising to his throat as well, his fingers digging into his skin. "There was a student there…a boy like All Might. That same disgusting look on his face, that same presence…."

"A student?"

"Noumu might have failed, but I _had_ him, All Might, right there! A few more seconds… if that brat hadn't gotten involved with his stupid quirk like All Might's, the symbol of peace would have been dead." His grip on his throat tightened just thinking about it. Just a little longer, that was all he needed, and he would have been able to feel the number one hero's skin turn to dust in his hands.

"This student, what did he look like?" The voice had an excited edge to it now, a plan on the verge of forming. Shigaraki didn't seem to notice, still mumbling about his lost chance. Instead it was Kurogiri who answered.

"Plain looking. Green hair. I believe one of the other students called him Midoriya."

"Midoriya? Well that shouldn't be hard to find. Maybe this venture won't be a complete failure then. You got their attention with this attack, Shigaraki Tomura. Leave the next step to me. I'll make sure that attention doesn't go to waste. We may not have been able to physically tear All Might down from the pedestal society has placed him on today, but I do believe I have an idea that will work just as well for now. In the meantime, rebuild. Become stronger. The world is going to need you to be a symbol of terror, and I know just the thing to help us cement you in that role."


	2. Chapter 1

"I still think they should have given you all the rest of the week off," Midoriya Inko fretted as she watched her son finish his breakfast. "A villain attack on school grounds! Don't they need more time to check security or investigate before it's safe for students to return?"

"Yuuei had the security systems completely reset yesterday, and there are supposed to be pro heroes patrolling the grounds during classes today. Besides, only our class had yesterday off. With the Sports Festival coming up, we can't fall behind." Izuku said, starting towards the sink with his empty plate. Inko took it from him gently, setting it on the counter beside her before placing both hands on his shoulders and forcing him to look at her as she spoke.

"I'm worried about you, Izuku. You know I'm proud of you, so proud of how good and kind you are, of how you never let go of your dream even when I wasn't as supportive as I should have been. When your quirk finally manifested I was so excited for you." Her voice was soft, but something in her eyes hardened at her next words. It was an expression he usually only saw his mother make when he mentioned Kacchan. "But I know something is going on, Izuku. Something about what happened that you aren't telling me."

Izuku froze. He thought that he had done a good job of acting normally, but clearly his mother had figured him out anyway. It was hard enough hiding the truth about One for All and All Might- he didn't want to keep anymore secrets. But how was he supposed to tell her that he had almost watched his friends die? That he had seen his teacher and his mentor, _his favorite hero_ , almost sacrifice themselves to save the class? That he had been seconds away from having Shigaraki's hand close around his throat, his skin disintegrating at the touch? She worried enough just knowing that he had been in the same building as a villain attack. He couldn't knowingly add to her stress by telling her what all he had been through at USJ.

Taking in her son's wide-eyed, panicked look Inko's expression hardened further, but she didn't press him. Instead she pulled him into a tight hug, taking satisfaction in the way the tension in his shoulders released as he melted into her touch. "I won't ask you what happened, Izuku. I trust that you'll tell me when you're ready. Just know that you don't have to keep it all to yourself. You may be in the hero course, but you are still only fifteen. You shouldn't have this much on your shoulders just yet." With a sigh she let him go and stepped back, her hands going to his shoulders again.

"Now you better get going, if you don't want to be late." Inko smiled, her eyes teary as Izuku gave her another quick hug before grabbing his bag from the floor.

"Thanks, Mom. Really. They want to keep us a little late today, to talk about USJ, but… I promise I'll tell you more about what happened when I get home." He couldn't tell her everything, some of his secrets weren't just his own after all, but there were some things he could share. She deserved that much for all the worry he was putting her through.

"I'll be here when you get home then. We can have your favorite for dinner and you can tell me whatever you're comfortable with, okay?" Inko smiled, despite the nerves already starting to set in. It was going to be a long day, she could tell, waiting to hear first hand the danger her son had been through, but she was pleased when Izuku smiled back. "Be careful on your walk. I love you, Izuku."

"Love you too, Mom." The moment Izuku closed the door behind him Inko sank into the seat he had just left. She hadn't lied. She was proud of everything that he had done and how determined he was to succeed. The excitement on his face when he told her that his quirk had manifested was an image she would always remember, but the full consequences of Izuku going to Yuuei hadn't hit her until the principal had called to inform her that there had been a villain attack on school grounds. Izuku was just a student, a first year at that, and he was already in more danger than she wanted to think about. For the first time since he decided he would try for Yuuei, Inko regretted her decision to let him go.

* * *

The walk to Yuuei wasn't long, but it gave Izuku entirely too much time to think. He had had enough time yesterday with classes cancelled to go over the villain attack again and again, unable to stop the images from playing in a loop. While he understood why his mom wanted to keep him close, he needed the distracted that classes would give to stop himself from overanalyzing every action he had taken at USJ, breaking down his mistakes the way he did with other people's quirks. He would learn from them- he had too- but he needed just a few hours without seeing Shigaraki's hand closing in on Tsuyu's face every time he closed his eyes.

"Deku-kun!" Uraraka called the second he opened the doors to Class 1-A. Izuku was immediately surrounded by his classmates. While the rest of the students had traveled together on the bus back to the main campus, Izuku rode with Aizawa and All Might so that he could go directly to Recovery Girl. Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu had all argued to wait for him, but Principal Nezu had insisted they go home.

"Have you recover from your injuries, Midoriya-kun?" Iida asked, sliding through the others so that he was standing next to Uraraka. "Asui-san told us that you went back to help Aizawa-sensei and All Might."

"Recovery Girl healed most of it the other day!" Izuku answered, holding up his bandaged hand. "Another day or two and it'll be good as new!" After healing both of his legs, Recovery Girl decided to simply jump start the healing of his hand, worried about his stamina after not only fighting the villains at the shipwreck, but Shigaraki as well. His arm was still a little tender, but it was better than risking that day or two asleep because he had overdone it again.

"Kirishima told us what you did, Deku-kun!" Uraraka's tone was excited, but it didn't quite match her expression. "Are you really okay? Jumping in front of that villain like that! I'm glad you were able to help All Might, but….are you sure you aren't hurt?"

"Recovery Girl wouldn't have let him out of her sight if he wasn't okay," Kirishima said, grinning. "You're basically her favorite patient!"

"I don't think that's a good thing…" Izuku muttered, but Kirishima carried on, turning excitedly to Uraraka.

"You should have seen it! Midoriya did that super powered jump and was right at that guy with all the hands! But the other guy, that warp gate villain, he opened a gate between them and all you could see was a hand sticking out from it."

Now Iida looked concerned. "You didn't mention that part before. Did I hear correctly that his quirk was disintegration?"

Izuku could only nod, his throat catching as the image of Shigaraki's hand coming towards him flashed to the front of his mind. It had been so close. If the pro heroes had gotten there even a second later. But they didn't. They had gotten there in time. He and All Might and Aizawa-sensei would all be fine. He took a deep breath.

"Deku-kun!" Uraraka said again, looking him over as if to confirm that he was really there and that everything was fine.

"It was close," Izuku admitted, forcing himself to get the words out around the lump in his throat. "But I really am fine." Uraraka looked at him again, as if she didn't quite believe him, but she gave him a small smile. The door slid open again as Tokoyami entered and the crowd started moving back towards their desks. So maybe school wasn't going to be the distraction he thought it would be, everyone exchanging stories about where they had been warped and with whom as they continued to arrive to the classroom, but at least Izuku wasn't alone to wallow in his own thoughts and self-criticism all day.

Despite the morning rehash of the what happened at USJ, the rest of the school day passed fairly normal. To everyone's surprise, Aizawa-sensei arrived just as the morning bell rang, his entire face bandaged except for two small gaps where his eyes were visible. Maybe Aizawa had wanted to get back to his normal routine as quickly as possible too, but Izuku was surprised Recovery Girl had allowed him to leave her care when it looked like he could barely stand up on his own.

With homeroom came the announcement of the Yuuei Sports Festival which was scheduled to take place in two weeks. All thoughts of USJ vanished as the whispers started. A huge event like the sports festival would require a lot of preparation, and Izuku was still unable to use One for All without a major kickback. He didn't know if he would be able to find a solution in such a short amount of time, but he was tired of being limited by his lack of control. He made a note to talk to All Might about it the next time he saw him. Maybe if his mentor explained again how One for All worked something would click and Izuku would have a clue towards figuring out his power. He knew there was no way he would make it very far in the festival without it, and the rest of the day saw him muttering to himself as he hurriedly wrote down everything All Might had ever told him about One for All in the hopes that he would make a connection he had somehow missed before.

When the final bell of the day rang, no one in Class A moved as Aizawa stepped back up to the podium. "You all know why the school asked you to stay today. As members of the hero course it is expected that you would eventually experience a villain attack first hand, but an incident like the attack at USJ has never happened at Yuuei before. While a few of you have encountered villains before," his gaze slid from Todoroki to Bakugou before settling on Izuku, "the school feels that it would be a good idea to check in with each of you. First year internships are with pro heroes for a reason. Do not be afraid to tell Recovery Girl about any problems you might be having as a result of this incident. Don't cause problems for yourselves down the line because you were too stubborn to ask for help." Izuku hoped he was imaging the way Aizawa seemed to glare at him as he said it. "That being said, your order has been randomized. First up is Aoyama."

Although Aizawa had said the order they were being called was random, Izuku quickly realized the way they were being called. Those who had immediately been warped to a separate zone were called first, followed by the students who had been there when Thirteen was injured. After that was Mineta and Tsuyu who had both seen Noumu's attack on Aizawa. Finally the only ones left were Kirishima, Todoroki, Bakugou, and Izuku- everyone who had been there when All Might was attacked. The span of time between each student getting called had steadily grown longer until there was an almost 45 minute break between Bakugou leaving and Izuku getting called. Seeing the sky already streaked with orange, he was glad he remembered to tell his mother he was going to be home late. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her even more worry by not coming home.

The door to Recovery Girl's office was open when he got there, but he knocked quietly just the same before entering. "Midoriya-kun. Go ahead and shut the door before you sit down."

Izuku did as he was told before moving towards the seat in front of her desk. Waiting for his turn had been fine, but Izuku could already feel his heart racing as he waited for Recovery Girl to speak. He rubbed his hands on his uniform pants before trying not to fidget in his seat. He didn't think he quite succeeded as Recovery Girl continued to stare at him without speaking.

"Midoriya-kun."

Izuku squeaked at the sudden sound of her voice. "Y-Yes?"

"Has All Might talked to you about what happened?"

"I-" That had not been the question he had been expecting. He shook his head quickly. "I haven't seen him since I left your office after you healed me."

"That foolhardy-" Recovery Girl stopped herself, turning her attention back to Izuku. "I'm not going to ask you if you've been sleeping. With everything I had to heal because of your quirk you're not going to have any issues with that for the next few days. All Might and Aizawa gave me a rundown of what happened, what you did, and before you even say anything I'm going to go ahead and tell you that you'll be meeting with me at least once a week until I say otherwise. And I reserve the right to adjust these sessions at any time." Izuku didn't know what to say to that, but Recovery Girl must have been able to read with he was thinking from his face because she said, "You don't think you need it." When she paused Izuku nodded slowly. "Why?"

"I-This is what we signed up for, isn't it?" Izuku asked. "If we're going to be heroes, we're all going to see things like that all the time. That's why we're at Yuuei. Isn't this something I'm going to need to learn to handle on my own?"

Recovery Girl sighed. "This is exactly why I wanted to meet with you all. I knew some of you would look at it this way. I will agree with you that you're going to need to learn how to deal with the things you are inevitably going to see as a pro hero. That's why I want you to meet with me. My job is to make sure you have constructive ways of dealing with and understanding the trauma that is unfortunately an unavoidable part of being a hero. Part of that is making sure you know that you don't have to deal with it on your own. As for this being something you signed up for by coming to Yuuei? I'm going to have to disagree with you there completely."

Recovery Girl waited to see if Izuku was going to protest. When he didn't she continued. "Why do students come to Yuuei? To _learn_. Yes, you are put in situations where you might come into contact with villains as part of your first year training, but that's only with a trained and licensed professional. And why do you think that is, Midoriya-kun?"

"So that someone is there if something goes wrong?" He answered hesitantly, still through off guard by the way this conversation had progressed.

"Exactly!" She pointed at him then, leaning back in her seat. "Because _that_ is what you signed up for by coming to Yuuei. Training. You're here to _prepare_ for the situations that come along with being a pro hero. Not a single teacher here would wish that kind of situation for their students. We're here to push you to make the most of your potential, to give you the tools you'll need after graduation. Being thrown into situations you aren't prepared for and being left to fend for yourself has not and never will be something that Yuuei stands for." Looking at the clock and then out the window she sighed again. "It's getting late. I want you to think about what I've said today and make a list of reasons why what happened to All Might wasn't your fault. You're just like him in that you probably blame yourself. Aizawa-sensei will let you know when we'll be meeting next. Understood?"

"Y-Yes! Thank you, Recovery Girl!" Izuku ducked his head, jumping to his feet. She hadn't held him as long as he had expected, but he was ready to be anywhere but her office.

Huffing, she turned back to her computer and said, "Go ahead and head home, then." Izuku was out the door as soon as she finished. "Just like Toshinori," she muttered to her empty office. "Too stubborn for their own good."

* * *

Izuku hurried home as soon as Recovery Girl cleared him to leave. Once classes had started, school and his thoughts about how to deal with One for All had been just the distraction he needed, but now he was ready to just eat his dinner and relax as he finished what little homework he had left. He would think about what Recovery Girl had said at some point- of course he would- but for the moment he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Mom!" He called, when he finally got the door unlocked and was slipping off his shoes. "I'm home!" No one answered. A quick glance behind him showed her shoes by the door. So she was home, at least. Maybe she was in the back of the apartment and just hadn't heard him come in. Despite that thought though, a cool feeling settled over him. A chill ran up his spine. Something wasn't right. The door had been locked when he came in but…

"Mom?" Izuku headed to the kitchen. Nothing seemed out of place from that morning at first, but then he saw it. A note on red paper left in the middle of the table. Maybe his mom had gone out after all. He reached for it slowly, his heart pounding in his chest.

 _We came to play, but you weren't here. Where were you, Midoriya Izuku? We had to use another player instead. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to understand the rules. Better luck next time._

The words were written in a shaky handwriting, but the meaning was clear. The note trembled in his hand. At the very bottom of the page where there would have been a signature were two words.

 _YOU LOSE_

Izuku already had his phone out. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up." He moved from room to room. Empty. Empty. Empty. "Midoriya, kid! Are you-"

"I think the League has been to my house. There was a note." Izuku interrupted. He stopped outside of his room. The door was close, but it was the only room he hadn't checked yet.

"The League? Are you alright?" His All Might name plate was still on the door, but it had been shifted slightly, not centered as it had been when he had left that morning. It felt like a hand was closing around his throat.

"Midoriya. Midoriya?"

Izuku pushed his door open. "Midoriya!" The phone slipped from his grip.

Blood covered every poster and picture of All Might he had, painted in angry lines across his walls, the floor, his bed. Lying in the middle of his room was Midoriya Inko. She was dead.


	3. Chapter 2

"Midoriya! Midoriya, kid!" Izuku could hear someone calling his name, but it sounded distorted like they were speaking under water. There was the sound of footsteps behind him and Izuku lunged to his feet-when had he sat down?- One for All pulsing violently just underneath his skin. The emaciated figure of All Might appeared in the doorway and his quirk fizzled out as he fell back down, his body giving out the moment he processed that he wasn't in danger. All Might's worried gaze traveled from Izuku trembling on the floor to the image behind him, and his eyes widened.

"Midoriya! What happened? I heard you screaming, are you hurt?" Izuku had been screaming? The burning in his throat told him he must have been, but he didn't remember it. He stared at All Might, unseeing, and didn't respond. "Why don't you come with me now, okay Midoriya? I called the police when you stopped answering. They should be here any second." All Might's voice was soothing, it always was, but there waver in his words that Izuku had never heard from his idol before. He had told Izuku to come with him. To leave the room. The room where- He tried to stand, to do as All Might said, but his legs refused to move again. His whole body tingled as if it had gone to sleep, lost its feeling like a limb whose circulation had been cut off. Was he even breathing? Izuku wasn't sure.

He felt All Might slip an arm around his waist to pull him to his feet, making sure that his young charge didn't look behind them again. As he was pulled to the door, Izuku's eyes were drawn to another smear of red across his walls, stark against the blue they were supposed to be. He took a rattled breath that caught in his throat and let himself be led out of his room.

All Might took him into the kitchen, sat him down at the table, and continued to talk softly, but Izuku didn't pay attention to any of his actual words, focusing instead on just the sound of his voice. The hero's arm never left his side, the steady pressure the only thing that kept Izuku grounded. This was real. This had happened. He wasn't having a nightmare. _This was real, oh God._ The thought ran through his mind over and over again until the police arrived, Principal Nezu trailing behind them. Panic pushed against the edges of the numbness Izuku had fallen into as Tsukauchi approached him, but he shoved it down and buried it under emptiness. If he broke down now he wouldn't be able to pull himself back together again.

In a blur, the police headed past him to his room as Tsukauchi spoke to All Might. If he tried to talk to Izuku, he didn't hear him. All Might tugged on his shirt, finally forcing Izuku back into the conversation. "We're going to take you to Yuuei now, Midoriya, okay? Recovery Girl is going to look you over and if you're up to it Tsukauchi has a few questions for you." Izuku nodded, but his lack of protest only seemed to make All Might more worried. They pulled him to Tsukauchi's car, All Might climbing into the backseat beside him. He must of zoned out again because in what seemed like too short a drive they were pulling through the back gates of Yuuei and heading into Nezu's office. Recovery Girl was already waiting for them, and she handed Izuku a glass of water, forcing him to drink it all before she ran him through a series of tests. The tingling feeling hadn't gone away entirely, but sometime during the drive it had faded until he could shove that down into the background as well.

"It seems to be an acute stress reaction," Izuku heard Recovery Girl say. "Not unexpected considering what happened. Midoriya." He looked over at her at the sound of his name. "I'm sorry, but…. I'm sorry. All I can do to help is to tell you to get some rest. Make sure you drink some more water. You're still recovering from your last injuries and you need sleep." At that she looked back at Tsukauchi and Nezu, her eyes hard. "As soon as you answer their questions I want you to at least try to rest. I'll check back in with you in the morning."

Izuku felt a laugh, hysterical, build up in his chest as she left, but he didn't let it escape. His mother had just been _murdered_. He had just found her body lying in his room, his walls smeared in blood, and she was telling him to take a fucking nap and drink some water as if that would make _anything_ about this situation feel less like the living nightmare it was. Actually, it was worse than even that because Izuku had never, despite his constant worrying, despite his talent for over analyzing, despite his obsessive personality in general, _ever_ considered this possible outcome. He should have though. After seeing what his battles against villains had done to All Might, Izuku had known that there were consequences for being a hero, had accepted the risks. He had just naively assumed the only one who would have to deal with those consequences would be himself. His mother had died for his mistake.

All Might settled in the chair beside Izuku, looking unsure of what to do, hesitating for a moment before placing a hand on his shoulder. They had questions for him about what happened, of course they did, and while all Izuku wanted to do was go some place where he could be alone and let One for All loose against a nice, sturdy wall that he imagined was Shigaraki's face, he couldn't run away. His mistake. His consequence. His fault. He didn't have the luxury of getting angry or upset more than he already had until after he told them what little he knew. so he forced himself to be present in the moment, a layer of carefully crafted indifference added to the pile of things he was burying his feelings under. He could deal with everything else when they were gone.

"Midoriya-kun. I'm sorry to have to ask you to talk about this now, but we have to know what happened tonight if we're going to find the League," Tsukauchi's tone, authoritative yet non-threatening, sounded completely professional, but it clashed with the stunned look on his face. "Do you know what time you mother returned home today?"

"She stayed home all day," Izuku answered, his throat raw. "She wanted to be there when I got back from school. Because of USJ. She switched schedules with someone, I think, but I got back later because I had to see Recovery Girl." She wouldn't have been home otherwise.

Tsukauchi and Nezu exchanged a look. "And no one else was in your apartment when you got there?"

"I didn't see anyone, but if the warp gate villain was there I probably wouldn't have anyway. Something felt wrong when I got home, which was why I went to the kitchen. I called All Might when I found the note on the table." Izuku's tone remained flat as he spoke. As long as he could keep a distance from what he was saying, keep himself detached from the implications of his words, the pressure in his chest didn't feel so intense. It still felt as though someone had reached down his throat and set his lungs on fire, but it was better than the alternative.

Tsukauchi had been taking notes as Izuku talked, but he looked up at the mention of the note. "Do you have it with you?"

"I picked it up," All Might said before Izuku could reply. He hadn't even thought about the note since they left the apartment, but he must have dropped it at some point. All Might handed the paper over to Nezu who read it over quickly, Tsukauchi looking over his shoulder.

"I'm assuming you read it already?" Nezu asked All Might, who nodded.

"It seems as though Midoriya was their target, but we can't be sure that this was the League, or more specifically that man child, simply lashing out," Tsukauchi mused. "They got a good look at you at USJ, didn't they?"

Considering Shigaraki had almost disintegrated his face, Izuku was going to have to go with a strong yes on that one. "Todoroki Shouto, Kirishima Eijirou, and Bakugou Katsuki were also seen by the warp villain and Shigaraki," Izuku added, suddenly remembering that he wasn't the only one who had jumped into All Might's fight. "They could be in danger too."

"We'll make sure they're safe, Midoriya-kun." Nezu said. "I promise you. The safety of Yuuei's students is our number one priority. I know that it can not undo the tragedy that has occurred tonight, but I apologize deeply for our failure. I will do everything I can to ensure that this doesn't happen again. It should have never happened in the first place. That responsibility rests on us."

"As for the investigation, we're already working on tracking down the League's base of operations after what happened at USJ. It may take some time, but we will find the people who did this," Tsukauchi said.

They didn't know what to say to him, that much was clear, but if they could stop this from happening to someone else, to one of his classmates, then Izuku didn't really care. And if they couldn't, Izuku would just have to do it himself. The thought cleared some of the fogginess in his head. The League wouldn't get away with what they had done.

"What happens to me now?" He hated himself for asking, but he had to know. He couldn't go back to that apartment. Not tonight.

Tsukauchi and Nezu exchanged another look, Tsukauchi moving away from Nezu's desk to sit across from Izuku. "Your father?"

"He and my mom weren't married. I've never met him. Mom doesn't talk about him often. She always got upset when she mentioned him, so I never really pushed her to tell me." There was a time, before the doctor confirmed that he was quirkless, that he had pretended that Bakugou Masaru was his father and that he and Kacchan were actually brothers, his little four year old self ignoring all the reasons that didn't make sense. Then that doctor's visit happened, and the whispers and the taunting started. Kacchan nicknamed him "Deku" and that fantasy was promptly forgotten.

"Any other family you could stay with?"

"My mom was an only child, and my grandparents died when I was in elementary school."

"Well then-"

"You'll stay with me." Everyone turned to All Might, surprise reflected on all of their faces.

"W-With you?" Izuku asked.

"Tsukauchi and Principal Nezu both agree. The League may target you again, You'll be safest if you stay with me. Besides, you know me, Midoriya kid. By staying with me you don't have to live with a stranger." All Might seemed proud of his argument, but a racking cough stopped him from saying more. Izuku was torn between pointing out that he still barely knew anything about All Might outside of his injury and One for All, or keeping quiet and just seeing where this all was headed. The latter option required less energy.

"Are you sure about this, All Might," Tsukauchi said, his concern leaking through the professional tone he was still trying so hard to maintain. "With your health and…"

"Nonsense. It makes the most sense. It's about time I shared some things with young Midoriya here anyway." All Might smiled at him, and the sight of it immediately made Izuku feel a little better despite himself. "Is that okay with you, Midoriya?"

"That's fine." He would never tell Recovery Girl she was right, but now that they had the answers they needed Izuku felt like all of his energy had disappeared at once. His head ached and he could feel the tight control he had over his emotions fraying. How much time had passed since he left school that afternoon? The darkness visible through the window behind Nezu's desk gave no indication of the time, and Izuku wasn't sure how long he had sat on his bedroom floor before All Might had arrived.

Tsukauchi didn't look convinced, but he couldn't argue when he saw the look on his old friend's face. Izuku looked as though he were about to fall over right there in the office, and there was no winning against the number one hero when he had it in his mind that he was doing the right thing. Tsukauchi would have to check in with them again anyway. "We can talk about long term arrangements later. It's getting late, and I have all the information I need for now." Pulling on his coat and grabbing his hat, Tsukauchi moved towards the door. "I'll talk to you again soon, Midoriya-kun. Once again, I am sorry for you loss." He nodded in All Might's direction, and then he was gone too.

For a moment the office was quiet, the silence heavy with the feeling that someone should say something, but no one knowing quite what that something was. Izuku sat in his chair, All Might sitting next to him, as Nezu watched them both with a calculating look in his eyes that made Izuku worry. "I think you two staying together is the best option for now," he said, finally breaking the silence. "Midoriya will most likely be targeted again now that the League has singled him out, but I doubt they will be able to pull together any kind of attack against you specifically any time soon. That creature they brought with them seemed to be a test run of sorts. Without it you should be safer together."

"What about the others?" Izuku asked.

"When we realized what had happened, I made sure that each of their families were called. They are safe for now, but we cannot ignore the chance that they, or other Yuuei students, could be targeted in the future. I think I have a solution, but until I can get the details worked out, you are safest with All Might."

Izuku wasn't going to argue with that. There was no one he trusted more with his safety than All Might, and living with his idol for however long it ended up being would probably be amazing under any other circumstances. He just wished it wasn't happening like this.

"Do you mind giving us a ride to my house, Nezu?" All Might asked, pushing back from his chair. "It's getting late, and there things the two of us still need to discuss before he rests." Izuku was instantly alert. There was something about his tone as he spoke, an edge to his smile that seemed familiar to Izuku only because he had watched videos of All Might's fights on repeat for years. All Might was worried and trying not to show it, hiding his fear behind a smile even when he wasn't using One for All to change his appearance. Izuku would be the first to admit that he knew next to nothing about his mentor despite the time they had spent together, but he had assumed that was because of the danger that his secret identity held. Obviously it would put All Might in more danger if people knew his real identity, knew about his injury, the nature of his quirk. Izuku wasn't insulted that All Might didn't trust him with that secret yet, but his reaction seemed a little strange even if Izuku was probably the only one there who would pick up on it.

"Of course. I can have one of the security team drive you. You'll be home in no time at all."

* * *

Nezu had been right, the drive from Yuuei to where All Might lived was less than fifteen minutes. Izuku had never imagined what kind of place All Might would live, but if he had it wouldn't have been anything close to reality. The small two-story house sat at the end of the street and was painted a blue that made Izuku immediately think of All Might's costume although this color was a few shades lighter. The garden that ran along the front of the house looked well tended, and Izuku thought he could see a larger yard in the back shaded by trees that towered over the building. All Might watched his reaction as the car came to a stop outside the gate, his gaze heavy in a way that didn't make him uncomfortable like Tsukauchi's and Nezu's had. Izuku felt sure the smile he tried to give All Might looked more like a grimace, but his intentions must have been clear anyway because All Might relaxed against his seat before thanking the driver and climbing out of the car, Izuku following slowly.

"I inherited this house while I was at Yuuei," All Might said slowly as they walked to the front door, as if he were having to forcibly pull the words out from where he had hidden them. "I lived here for a short time after I graduated, but haven't been back much since. Part of the reason I took the opportunity to teach at Yuuei was because it gave me an excuse to live here again."

The inside of the house looked just as cozy as the outside would have suggested. Dark hardwood floors ran down the hallway, and Izuku caught a glimpse of the kitchen, modern looking appliances mixing with a soft yellow wallpaper and a window that looked out into the garden. All Might gestured for Izuku to follow him into the living room where he sat down in a puffy looking armchair that seemed to mold to fit him. Izuku hesitated for a moment before sitting on the sofa next to it and looking around the room trying to commit everything to memory. DVDs lined the TV stand, the titles of popular rom-coms, action films, and animated movies jumping out at him.

A few pictures sat on the top of a bookshelf against one wall, and even from a distance Izuku could recognize the distinctive hair of what looked like a school aged Aizawa and Present Mic pulled together on either side of a much younger and obviously healthier All Might. That image was difficult to reconcile with the All Might of present, but his smile and hair appeared unchanged despite the time and injuries he had endured. Beside that was a framed drawing of the hero that had to have been given to him by a child if the crayons were anything to go by. There was a shaky signature at the bottom, but it was too far away for Izuku to see clearly. The last picture, centered between the other two, was of a woman Izuku didn't recognize. The All Might standing neck to her had to have been a first year at Yuuei, he looked so young. A heavy gold medal hung around his neck as he grinned sheepishly at the woman who had an arm slung around his shoulders, her expression full of pride as she held a sign that read clearly "Go Yagi!" in her other hand.

"Yagi?" The word had slipped out, but Izuku didn't try to take it back, turning from the photo to look at his mentor. All Might's smile, at first, was the smile that Izuku had grown accustomed to seeing through the screen of his computer- strong, powerful, a shield and a weapon all at once. As he looked at Izuku though, the question hanging between them, it shifted.

"That would be my name, Midoriya Izuku," All Might said. "Yagi Toshinori. Pleased to meet you."


	4. Chapter 3

All Might. Yagi Toshinori. Huh.

"All Mi-" Izuku cut himself off at the encouraging look from the hero. "Y-Yagi-san?" When he got a nod of approval, Izuku continued. "I don't mean to be rude, I appreciate everything you've done for me. But why did you offer to let me stay with you? Doesn't this put you more at risk? The League tracked me down already. What if by staying here I lead them straight to you?" Izuku didn't think that he would be able to deal with another person being in danger because of him. All Might had kept his identity a secret this long for a reason. Izuku refused to be the reason that secret got out.

The hero's expression turned thoughtful, a finger tapping against his chin. "When I was about your age, someone very close to me died. I hadn't known her as long as I would have liked, but she was important to me. Someone I looked up to. I can't say that I know exactly what you are going through right now, Midoriya, because I don't. But I do know what it's like to have your time with someone you care about cut short because of circumstances outside of your control." He had to pause then, the sound of wet coughing filling the silence. When he wiped his hand across his it came away red. Bile rose in Izuku's throat at the color.

"As for the League… Nezu is right that they probably won't strike again soon. They don't know my identity, and they won't find it out just by you being here. So don't worry about that, young Nonsense Prince. I am in no more danger by you being here than I usually am. Your safety is what's important here. And you are safest with me."

"But-"

"No!" All Might interrupted, frowning as he leaned forward, examining Izuku closely. "If you aren't comfortable staying with me, you can tell me. If that's the case we can talk to Nezu about making other arrangements. But do not be worried about me not wanting you here."

"No, no!" Izuku said his words blending together as he shook his head. "That's not it at all! I want to stay here, I just don't want you to feel obligated, or put in more danger." _I can't lose you too._

"Then it's settled."

Izuku felt anything but settled, but he didn't argue. Instead he asked, "You said we had a lot of things to discuss?"

"That I did, my boy." Izuku's eyes narrowed at the return of the nervous tone All Might had taken on in Nezu's office. " My name being the most important. Can't have you staying with someone without knowing their name. It's about time you knew anyway." All Might gestured around him. "This house was another. I'll give you the tour tomorrow." He stood. "Everything else can be handled tomorrow. Recovery Girl said you needed rest, and you are still healing so I'll go ahead and show you to your room. Find you some clothes to change into."

Izuku knew that it was only the stress that made him feel so bold. Any other day he would probably have accepted the cues from his idol and allowed the change of subject, but something stopped him. "Yagi- san?"

The hero froze at the doorway, turning back to look at Izuku slowly, the low light from the hallway highlighting the sunken in look of his eyes. "Yes, Midoriya?"

"The woman you knew. The woman who died. Who was she?" Hazarding a guess, Izuku glanced over at the photo on the bookshelf. All Might's eyes followed, and he swallowed hard.

"That was the other thing I wanted to mention." All Might wouldn't meet Izuku's eyes, looking down at his hands instead. "There are a lot of things I should tell you. Things I should probably have told you a long time ago. But I… I haven't talked about any of this in a long time, and I'm not ready to have to talk about it again. So I wanted to ask you to be patient with me. And to know that if you feel that I'm keeping things from you… It's not because I don't trust you. It's a lot to ask, but give me a little more time." The pain in All Might's eyes told Izuku that whatever happened to the woman in the photograph...Whatever secrets the hero was keeping about his past… It wasn't going to be a pleasant story. Izuku nodded his agreement, and the way all the tension seemed to release from All Might as he sagged in relief made guilt twist violently in his stomach. He could wait for All Might to be ready to talk about it. Izuku had other things to focus on anyway.

* * *

A night of restless sleep and nightmares washed the numbness away leaving only Izuku's anger in its place. It burned under his skin, an inferno searing in his chest, refusing to stay locked away as it had the night before. To be fair, Izuku didn't put much effort into keeping it at bay. Numbness had been his shield the night before, like one of All Might's put upon smiles. If he couldn't use that to keep himself together, then the anger would have to suffice. Until he took out the League at the very least.

For a moment Izuku lay in the guest room bed looking at the room All Might had given him and tried to pretend that he was just there for a visit. Tried to pretend that his idol and mentor had chosen to confide in him, not because the situation demanded it, but because it was a part of his life he wanted to share with him. Then he forced himself out of bed and sat at the small wooden desk set up under the window. He had left his hero analysis notebook in his backpack at the apartment, but he could still remember what he had hastily scrawled in it during class. He needed to figure out a solution for One for All. Izuku hadn't been able to do anything for his mother because he hadn't been there, but if he was being honest with himself what difference would he have really been able to make? Thirteen had struggled against the warp villain and he didn't have anywhere near the same level of control over One for All as Kacchan had over his own quirk. And then there was Shigaraki. Tsuyu pulled him out of the way. Aizawa neutralize his quirk. All Might distracted him. Snipe shot him. Izuku had almost died four times over _with help._

How would he have been able to protect his mother while fighting both of them alone? All Might would have been able to handle it, but even with All Might's quirk Izuku was a long way from being anywhere near the hero he was. How could he save anyone when he can't even use One for All without destroying his body in the process? Breaking his own bones was a fine solution when there was nothing at stake, but that method would only get him so far. Who knows how long it would be before Recovery Girl decided she had had enough of healing his self inflicted injuries.

After rooting around the desk drawers from a minute Izuku found paper and a pen carefully rewrote his notes from the day before. The main problem he needed to deal with was his lack of control over One for All. He could talk to All Might about it again, but asking him right after what happened would probably lead to extra attention Izuku couldn't deal with right now. The teachers at Yuuei were sure to be watching him closely to see how he reacted. Asking All Might more questions about his quirk might lead those in the know to suspect him of wanting to go after the League himself, and while Izuku wasn't stupid or arrogant enough to believe himself capable of that at the moment their extra attention might get in the way of his training. Best to avoid that route unless absolutely necessary. So he would continue on with the egg in the microwave visualisation and hope that something clicked.

His other problem came from the fact that he was practically defenseless without a quirk. Izuku had gotten through his one-on-one fight with Kacchan mostly by relying on the fact that they had known each other for years, and Kacchan's movements were almost as familiar to himself as his own. He wasn't the only person Izuku would have to face essentially quirkless while he figured out One for All though, and while he had a lot of experience _being_ in fights he had hardly any _winning_ them and no formal training outside of what Yuuei offered in the hero course. Having access to power like One for All meant nothing if he didn't know what to do with it. So he needed to learn how to how to fight. Not only to tide him over until he had better control over his quirk, but so that when he did he would know what to do with it. Asking All Might was out for the same reason he couldn't ask about One for All. None of his teachers would believe that he had been planning to ask before the League's attack. Unlike All Might's quirk though, this was something Izuku could learn from another source. And he knew just the place to go. All he needed to do now was figure out how to get there without getting caught.

* * *

All Might was waiting for Izuku in the kitchen when he finally convinced himself to go downstairs. "Midoriya, my boy." The hero greeted when he saw Izuku standing in the doorway. "I hope that you slept well, all things considered."

"Better than I had expected," he said, which wasn't saying much considering he hadn't expected to get any sleep at all.

""Help yourself to anything you want to eat, and then we have some things to take care of that unfortunately can't be put off." It was strange to see the All Might outside of school and hero work. Meeting his idol in person, training with him, seeing him in class. Before One for All and Yuuei, All Might had seemed like a character out of a story. Too kind, too amazing, too alive to be anything other than fiction. Something for Izuku to project his hopes and dreams on, distant enough that the real world couldn't touch it. Spending so much time with All Might had shaken that view. While he looked up to All Might and respected him more than anyone else, Izuku knew now what he was like as a person. Knew the sacrifices the hero had made to inspire others. He wasn't a figure off in the distance anymore, and Izuku was grateful that he had been given the opportunity to know the person behind the All Might persona.

That being said it was still incredibly jarring to see the hero he had obsessed over since he was five years old sitting at the same kitchen table as him, dressed in pajamas based on his own costume and drinking coffee from a plain white mug with a picture he was pretty sure was supposed to be a chibi version of Aizawa-sensei. For a moment, Izuku considered going back to bed and trying this morning again, but it wasn't worth the effort.

"Thank you, Al-Yagi-san." That might take a little while to get over too.

"Tsukauchi came by this morning, dropped some of your clothes off." All Might smeared jelly across a piece of toast. "Recovery Girl also wants to check in with you again." Midoriya grimaced at the thought, and All Might laughed as took a bite. "She wants to make sure everything is still okay with your arm as well. And then…" He trailed off, the light expression turning more serious. He placed the toast back on the his plate and gripped his mug tightly. "I've been listed as your temporary guardian since you're staying here, Midoriya, and I got a phone call this morning. I know it hasn't been long, but because of you're staying here with no real legal ties to me they are insisting that your mother's will be read today to make sure she didn't have plans for you in the event that something happen. The lawyers in charge of the reading asked if we could meet them today."

Izuku pushed his coffee away, the taste suddenly too bitter.

"I told them I would check with you first before I agreed." All Might continued, regret clear in his voice as he twisted his own mug back and forth by its handle. "You don't have to go today, if you don't want to."

"What about school?" It felt dumb to ask. There were much bigger things going on than school, but it had been the distraction that Izuku needed after had hoped that it would be that again. Besides, his mother had been so proud of him for getting into Yuuei. He couldn't let her down by falling behind.

"Principal Nezu has cancelled classes for the day for all students. He'll be making an announcement later about his plan to increase security. But Midoriya you don't have to go to classes this week, you do know that, right?" All Might looked like he wanted to reach across the table to where Izuku was sitting but stopped himself at the last moment, picking up his toast again instead. "None of you teachers will mark you down for missing given the circumstances."

Izuku shook his head. "I want to go. I need to go. To class and to talk to the lawyers. I might as well get it over with. I'll have to talk to them eventually."

"You are being very brave about all of this, Midoriya. I'll be there with you every step of the way." Izuku returned All Might's smile, but he didn't correct him. He wasn't being brave. It didn't count as bravery if you had no other options left to you.

They left All Might's house not long after they finished eating. First stop- Recovery Girl. While they didn't stay at the elderly healer's office long, it was far longer than Izuku would have liked. After she finished fussing over him and making him promise he wouldn't push himself for the next few days as he finished healing from USJ and the stress of what had happened, they headed downtown to the lawyer's office. Izuku knew he had never been to these offices before, but there was something about the small, old, brick building that seemed familiar to him. The lawyer in charge of his mother's affairs, a tall woman named Watanabe waited for them in the entryway.

"Midoriya-san," she greeted with a small bow. "Thank you for meeting me today." She turned to All Might with a bow as well. "And Yagi-san. I'm sorry to call you in today. I know this must be a difficult time and that you must still be processing, but because you are a minor it's important that we settle the matter of your guardianship as soon as possible. If you would please follow me, I have the document ready for us in the conference room."

She led them down the hallway to a large room with an equally long table. Izuku and All Might sat on one side as Watanabe moved to the other where folders had been spread out across the table's surface. The room seemed a little much considering it was just the three of them, and Izuku shifted in his seat as a folder was slid across the table towards him. What if something in his mother's will made it so that he couldn't stay with All Might? Would he have to live with a stranger? His mother didn't have very many close friends, definitely not anyone he felt she would trust enough to look after him, but he couldn't be sure.

All Might put a reassuring hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Take a deep breath, Midoriya. It will be okay." The hero couldn't guarantee that, but his words were reassuring all the same. At his hesitant smile some of the anxiety building in Izuku's throat relaxed. All Might may not be able to punch his way out of this situation, but Izuku knew if he wasn't okay with the outcome All Might would do everything he could to make Izuku happy.

"I'll get straight to the point," Watanabe said, shuffling the papers in front of her. "The reason it was so important to speak to you today considering your guardianship is that your mother didn't appoint one specifically for these circumstances. In fact, she left only one condition in the case she were to die before you were of age." She said the words so casually, but they still made Izuku struggle to catch his breath for a moment.

"And what was the condition?" All Might asked. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but looking at All Might now Izuku realized that he had gotten dressed up for this meeting. His yellow suit, an exact copy of the one he wore when teaching at Yuuei, fit his normal form much better, and while Izuku would have thought the color would only highlight the hero's illness he somehow managed to look healthier than Izuku had seen him before.

"The only condition Midoriya Inko set was that the guardian be chosen by Midoriya Izuku." Watanabe waited for that to sink in for a moment before continuing. "Now given Midoriya is still a minor but over the age of thirteen, it is allowable for him to choose who he lives with as long as that person is deemed fit to be his guardian. I'm assuming that you would like Yagi-san here to be made your guardian?"

Izuku looked at All Might, trying to gage his reaction. When it came down to it, Izuku would prefer to stay with All Might. He was familiar, Izuku wouldn't have to keep secrets from him, he didn't have to be as worried about All Might getting dragged into fights against villains since he would be involved whether Izuku was there or not. Izuku wouldn't think about the panic that started to creep back in at the thought of All Might not wanting him to stay, because despite his own words the night before Izuku couldn't imagine him wanting to do something as permanent and long lasting as becoming his guardian. He didn't know whether his fears settled or grew when All Might replied, "I would consider it an honor if you'd like me too, Midoriya kid."

 _Of course he did._ "If you're sure that's okay?" Izuku said instead.

"What do we need to do to start this process?" All Might asked Watanabe.

"I have the papers right here." She handed them over with a small smile. "After you sign those, we'll have a representative come by your house in the next month or so to check in, make sure everything is still working out. After that we'll need to speak to some character witnesses, and it can all be official. Until then, Midoriya can continue to live with you."

"Was that all you needed to talk to me about?" Izuku asked, because Watanabe seemed to have a lot of papers for something so easily solved.

"The rest of it can be handled at a later date. Your mother's will is very straight-forward. Everything, she left to you. She requested not to have a funeral service either." Watanabe consulted a piece of paper. "As she put it she would rather people celebrate her life and think happily about their time together than have a day dedicated to being sad." Izuku wasn't surprised by that news at least. He had heard his mother say something along those lines before. "The only other thing is this." She pulled a sealed envelope from a folder and passed it across the table as well. Izuku's name was written clearly in his mother's short and cramped handwriting on the front, and although it the envelope was sealed Izuku could tell that it was several pages long at least.

"She left that here with her will along with explicit instructions that if she died before you turned eighteen that it should be given to you. The day you turned eighteen, if she hadn't died, the letter was to be destroyed. As you can see, no one in my office has looked at the letter, including myself. I have no idea what it says, but she was very insistent that it be given to you."

Izuku looked down at the letter, ran a finger over his name. His mother's last words to him saved on a few thin pieces of paper. He forced his grip to loosen so he didn't damage it. "Was that all?"

Watanabe nodded. "I can call you again in a few days to discuss some of the other details. Things like the apartment. That kind of stuff. Until then, you're free to go. And I am very sorry for you loss, Midoriya."

Izuku mumbled his thanks absent mindedly and followed All Might out of the office and back onto the street. All Might asked if he was fine heading back home and he easily gave his consent. The sooner they got back to All Might's house the better, Izuku thought, the letter heavy in his hand. He needed to start his training, and for that he needed to be able to disappear for a little while.

Sneaking out was easier than Izuku had expected given the circumstances. When they got back he headed back to his room with the excuse of being tired and All Might let him go with a look and concern and no questions. Izuku felt bad for lying to him, but he needed to do this without having to argue and justify his actions. After waiting for half an hour for All Might to come and check on him, Izuku slipped out the window and down into the back yard. The next part would be more difficult.

Being obsessed with pro heroes and trying to catalogue everything he could about their quirks meant that he spent a long time chasing after their fights. Sometimes he happened to be in the right place at the right time-or wrong place depending on the perspective- but those incidences weren't common enough for Izuku to gain the information that he wanted. Signing up for notifications of pro hero activities helped a bit, but he still mostly arrived after the villains had been stopped. That was when he started keeping track of where villain attacks happened and what times of the day they were most common. Six months later he had a pretty good idea of where he needed to be to increase the likelihood of witnessing a fight. All he had to do then was hanging around and wait to see what unfolded. It was one of those days that Izuku met Takahashi Issei.

When quirks became more common and events like the Yuuei Sports Festival replaced the Olympics in popularity, unauthorized quirk fights were made illegal. Takahashi was one of the many people who used that fact to make a profit, charging people money to bet on these illegal fights. Izuku knew none of this when he saved his life a year previous. He had been wondering a region of the city that had a reputation for not being the safest in hopes of seeing a pro hero in action when a car rounded the corner. Someone with the quirk to shoot what looked like arrows made from their own energy had fired at Takahashi. Izuku had managed to pull him out of the way just in time. Takahashi had tracked him down after that, tried to pay him back for saving his life, but Izuku had refused. He didn't need a reward for saving someone's life, but now that he needed Takahashi's help he hoped the man remember that he promised him a favor.

"Midoriya Izuku. What a surprise." Takahashi said, standing in front of the tiny restaurant he also owned, his hands stuck in his pocket. The smug look on his face made Izuku altogether uncomfortable, but he walked up to him slowly.

"Takahashi-san."

"I'm assuming you've come to collect?" At the grim determination on Izuku's face, Takahashi laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulder. Where All Might would put a hand on his shoulder in comfort, Takahashi's movement was all about control. It didn't matter that Izuku was here because Takahashi felt like he owed the younger man for saving his life. Izuku had come to him for help, and all the cards were in his hand. "Let's take a walk to somewhere a little more private, eh Izuku?" Izuku had never told Takahashi his name and Takahashi had never asked, but that didn't stop him from greeted him familiarly a week after he had saved his life.

Takahashi led him through the restaurant, greeting people loudly as they went. Izuku could feel their eyes follow him as he walked behind him, but none of them said a word to him as they let him pass. When they were alone in the backroom, Takahashi leaned against the wall and turned to Izuku. "Now what is it I can help you with? Surely those heroes at Yuuei can deal with whatever problems you've gotten yourself into. Unless you're planning on taking a more...unorthodox approach to dealing with whoever murdered your mother?"

Izuku's nails dug painfully into the palm of his hands. It didn't surprise him that Takahashi knew that he had been accepted to Yuuei, and he was sure the news about his mother's death had been broadcasted all over even though he had so far been successful in avoiding it. "I'm not here about that," Izuku answered, his tone sounding harsh even to him. Takahashi's eyes widened. "I need you to teach me how to fight. I'm too far behind, and Yuuei's training isn't enough to get me caught up."

The look on Takahashi's face was nothing short of ecstatic. "Now isn't that something." Pushing himself away from the wall, he stalked towards Izuku, the grin on his face almost feral. "It isn't going to be pleasant." The fact that he seemed happy about that didn't slip past Izuku.

"I know." Izuku needed to do this. He didn't have another option.

"Then let's get started, shall we?" He moved too quickly for Izuku to react. Pain exploded in his head for a moment, and then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 4

Sneaking out, in hindsight, was much easier than sneaking back in. The fact that he had been gone for over three hours and already had a large bruise spreading across the side of his face didn't help matters either. He probably should have expected that, to be honest.

Izuku hadn't seen Takahashi's hit coming. The next thing he knew he was lying on the floor in the restaurant's little back room, the side of his head aching. Some time must have passed, because Takahashi sat backwards in a chair facing him, a lit cigarette hanging from his fingers. "I knew this was going to be a challenge, kid, but the fact that you couldn't even block that...Are you sure you got into Yuuei?"

Pushing himself up, Izuku glared at the older man. Takahashi smirked back, not at all bothered. "Does that mean you aren't going to help me?"

Takahashi rolled his eyes. "I owe you a favor. I'll pay you what you're owed. Besides, I wouldn't pass up an opportunity for such quality entertainment. I'll train you, but you're going to get your ass kicked. It's none of my business whether you can learn from it or not. We're even either way, got it?" With that he had sent Izuku on his way with plans to meet the next day.

The door creaked loudly when Izuku opened it. All Might's voice called out, "Midoriya?" Izuku had spent the whole walk back, his face burning, thinking about what he was going to tell the hero about his face, but he still wasn't prepared for the look on the hero's face when he rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of the purple glaring obviously across Izuku's cheek. He especially wasn't prepared for the immediate anger in All Might's hooded eyes. In an instant, he switched forms, gently grabbing Izuku's arms to turn him so he could get a better look at his face.

With a measured calmness All Might asked in a quiet voice. "Who did this?"

Izuku shook his head, refusing to meet All Might's eyes. Takahashi wasn't a good person. Far from it. But that was why Izuku needed to meet with him. Telling his teachers, asking for this kind of help… He may be in the hero course,but considering everything that had happened they were sure to make him take it easy. A crash course with Takahashi was what he needed for now. The kind of training he really needed took time. He didn't have months to learn the way the teachers at Yuuei would want. The League could attack again at any moment, and Izuku refused to be the reason someone else got hurt. He would still go through all the formal training at school. Of course he would. He could use all the help he could get. But for now he needed a cheap and dirty solution. Something to hold him over while he learned everything else. He hadn't spent the last fifteen years learning the ins and outs of his quirk like everyone else in his class. Being good at analyzing his situation would only get him so far if he didn't have any other skills to back it up. Without full control over One for All, he needed another way. All Might wouldn't approve, but sometimes Izuku wasn't going to be able to fight fair. Now more than ever. Takahashi could help him with that in a way the pro-heroes at Yuuei couldn't. A criminal wouldn't treat him with kid gloves, wouldn't hold back.

"Midoriya. You can tell me." Izuku felt like he should be crying. Normally, he would be crying right now with All Might speaking to him in such a concerned tone. Had he even cried since his mother died? The tell-tale burning behind his eyes wasn't there, and Izuku didn't know what to do with that information.

"It's not a problem, Yagi-san. I know it looks bad, but I'm okay."

"Midoriya, my boy," All Might gripped his arms a little tighter. "You're face is bruised. Someone obviously hit you. What happened?"

Izuku bit his lip. It was stupid to think that he would be able to keep something like this from All Might. Someone was bound to notice, even if he hadn't been living with the hero. He hadn't counted on Takahashi leaving a mark during their first conversation, and it was throwing his whole plan off. He couldn't tell All Might about Takahashi, but Izuku couldn't lie outright either, not about this. No lie would be believable, and he didn't _want_ to lie to All Might. "I felt restless. I went to train."

"Y-You went to train? Midoriya you could have been attacked by the League! What if they had found you?"

"They don't know where I'm staying, and they don't know you own this house, so they couldn't have tracked me here." Izuku closed his eyes, refusing to look at the disappointment in All Might's face. "I needed to get out of here. Just for a little while. I shouldn't have left without telling you. I'm sorry."

"And the bruise?"

"I miscalculated?" Izuku's voice lifted in a squeak at the word.

All Might sighed, shifting forms again before placing a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "You need to be more careful, alright? I was worried about you."

Izuku hung his head, guilt hanging heavy. "I'm sorry." He had never wanted to make All Might worry. He owed him so much, but he couldn't explain why he needed to do this in a way the hero would understand. He had to do _something_. Something other than waiting around for Tsukauchi, or Nezu, or the League to make their next move. He needed to do something to make up for his mistakes. Yuuei wasn't going to be enough.

Going to school the next morning hurt. Izuku's mother had been there to say goodbye to him every morning before school since he was old enough to attend. For the first time in his life he would go to school knowing that she wasn't going to be there to greet him when he got home. That he couldn't call the apartment home at all anymore. All Might hadn't even tried to convince Izuku not to go, and for that he was grateful. He needed some sense of normalcy. He needed to see his friends.

For a moment when Izuku entered Class 1-A nothing happened. Conversations continued on as usual, no one noticing his quiet approach. Then there was a gasp, a cry of "Deku-kun!" and Izuku found himself in tight hug from Uraraka. The class went silent.

"Midoriya-kun." Iida was the next to approach him, his expression tight. "I am..so sorry about what happened." Izuku could tell his friend was struggling to find the words to express his support and sent him a small smile over Uraraka's shoulder. Just seeing them made him feel lighter. The pressure of everything that had happened, everything he was supposed to do vanishing in their presence. Coming to class had been the right decision.

"You didn't have to come, Deku-kun." Uraraka stepped back to look at him. "The school would have understood."

Izuku rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. "I know… but I needed to be here, you know? It's better than sitting around all day with nothing to do. You know how I am. Me and my thoughts alone? Probably not the best idea." His weak attempt at a joke fell flat.

His weak attempt at a joke fell flat, and Uraraka pulled him into another tight hug. Normally, he would have normally been embarrassed by the attention from his friend, but it didn't bother him this time. The rest of the class hovered around them for a moment, unsure of whether or not they should approach him as well. Tsuyu finally broke from the rest, coming up to stand beside him. She didn't move to hug him, Uraraka still holding him tight, but she patted his hand softly.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya-chan. If you want to talk about anything, or need anything, we're all here to help you."

"That's right!" Kirishima called out, standing at his desk. "Our class sticks together. You need anything. You let us know."

"I-Thanks guys." Izuku said. "It means a lot." A few stragglers offered their condolences as they arrived and the start of homeroom approached. The class quieted again when Bakugou arrived, the door sliding open with a crash. For a moment he stared at Izuku, expressionless, before he started towards his desk without a word. The rest of the class seemed frozen, waiting to see what Bakugou did as he took his seat in front of Izuku. They didn't have to wait long.

"Dumbass Deku," he growled, facing the board.

"Bakugou!" Iida started, but cut off at Bakugou's glare.

"Probably blaming yourself for what happened. It's not like you could have done anything. What, you think you're stronger than All Might? Think you could have taken them, when he even had trouble?" He still wasn't facing him, but Izuku could see the harsh line in his shoulders as Bakugou tensed. He may have fallen out with Izuku, but there had been a time when Bakugou had seen his "Aunt" Inko almost everyday. Time and and his pride had caused their relationship to break, but his mother had been one of Inko's best friends. Izuku knew him too well to think that he was unaffected. "Get over yourself Deku. You're not that special."

"Bakugou! What the hell, man!" Kirishima moved towards his friend, his face pulled tight in confusion, but the door slid open again as Aizawa entered. Reluctantly, Kirishima sat back down shooting Bakugou another look.

Aizawa didn't say anything to Izuku, didn't even look at him, just immediately launched into their normal homeroom activities. "Principal Nezu has asked us all to make an announcement today." All attention shifted from Izuku to their teacher. "The Sports Festival has been pushed back by two weeks. You now have a month to prepare. Make the most of it."

"Pushed back?" Mineta asked. "To increase security?" Someone at the back of the room shushed him, muttering about insensitive idiots.

"In part. But also because that is the amount of time it will take for Yuuei's dorms to be completed." Aizawa said with disinterest. The class sat in shock for a moment.

"Dorms!?"

"Principal Nezu feels that having the students live on Yuuei's campus is the best way to make up for the previous lack in security. Each grade will have its own building, and each class its own floor. Room assignments will be given when the buildings are completed. Your families are being made aware of this change today as well. The sports festival is being moved so that you all will have one week to get used to your new environment before the competition. Now moving on…" Izuku tuned out the rest of what Aizawa was saying. Dorms. How would that affect All Might's guardianship? While he definitely felt it would be safer for the hero not to be connected to him while the League didn't know his identity, would this make All Might change his mind? If there was another option, then he might not feel obligated...No. Izuku had come to school to be distracted, not worried. He would deal with that if it became a problem. Glancing at Uraraka, Izuku saw his friend watching him. She sent him another smile and Izuku couldn't help but smile back. It was easy after that to focus back in on what Aizawa was saying.

Less than an hour after classes ended, Izuku found himself standing outside of Takahashi's restaurant again. All Might had been distracted when the final bell rang, and Izuku had taken advantage of that to slip off campus without him, sending him a text to let him know that he was okay but would be back to the house later. When Izuku entered the restaurant the man at the bar pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's waiting for you in the basement. Down the stairs to the left."

Izuku nodded his thanks and headed in the direction he had been told. The basement was much larger than the room Izuku had seen the day before. Mats lined the floor, the walls covered in stacks of weights and other training equipment. "Strange place to keep a gym," Izuku said when he saw Takahashi sitting against the back wall.

"It doesn't draw attention. Gets the job done. I needed a place to test my fighters, not win awards for quality." Takahashi stood up slowly. "You can put your bag down anywhere. Now before we get started, are you sure you want to do this? Not that I care, but I can't have you running, crying assault if this doesn't go the way you're expecting."

Izuku pretended to give it some thought. "Do you fight fair?"

Takahashi snorted. "You know my business, kid. You're too smart to be asking a dumb question like that."

"So no. Can you teach me to fight without a quirk?"

"I can teach you. You aren't going to enjoy it, but I can teach you."

"Then I'm sure." Izuku followed Takahashi to the mat and steeled himself for what was coming.

As soon as Izuku was facing Takahashi, he moved. Fasting than Izuku could follow, Takahashi had his feet out from under him and his face in the mat, an arm twisted painfully behind his back. "This is honestly pathetic, kid. Yuuei is supposed to be the best. What the hell are they even teaching you at that school?"

"You say that like you're a normal fighter, Takahashi." Izuku pulled himself back to his feet when Takahashi released his arm. "You know why I asked you to train me."

"You mean it wasn't for my glowing personality and sunny disposition?" Takahashi's grin reminded Izuku of a spider, sly and slow. The twitch of his lips signaling that something bad could happen at any moment and Takahashi would take pleasure in watching it unfold as long as he wasn't caught up in the aftermath. "I assumed you wanted to take advantage of my quirk."

Illegal quirk fighting rings like the one Takahashi ran weren't uncommon in most major cities. People lived off the violence, off the challenge, off the chance to use their quirks in an active-if nonconventional- way. What set Takahashi's apart though was its success in its non-quirk tournaments. After the rise of quirks, tournaments without those superpowered elements fell out of favor because they were deemed too boring in comparison to even events like the Yuuei Sports Festival. Takahashi had managed to change that outlook just a little though because he had a quirk fitted for just that.

Izuku had done some research on Takahashi after he had saved his life and found out what the man was up to. Takahashi's quirk, it seemed, provide him with a sort of sixth sense or precognition when he had elevated levels of adrenaline. It wasn't much, only a few seconds into the future if that, but it made his reaction time that little bit faster because he could almost see how people would move, react before it happened. Granted, Izuku was almost sure Takahashi's way of teaching him was going to simply be him attacking Izuku and Izuku having to try to keep up, but if he could hold his own for even a few minutes against Takahashi? It would make a huge difference with people who didn't have his precognition quirk.

"Again."

Izuku squared himself for another try.

A pattern developed quickly after that. Get up, go for a run, classes, training, sleep. Takahashi hadn't been joking when he said he wasn't going to take it easy on Izuku because he was a kid. He treated him like any of the other fighters he trained, and that meant Izuku walked away from every session a little more beaten up and broken than the time before. He was improving, he could tell, but not enough so that he could avoid getting injured. And that was precisely why he found himself sitting in Recovery Girl's office once again.

Despite Recovery Girl wanting to meet with him because of USJ, Izuku had been avoiding her. Bruises covered his body and there was a tenderness in his ribs that he knew he should probably be more concerned about, but he had been able to hide all of that from All Might. Aside from that first day, Takahashi had avoided leaving any marks that Izuku couldn't easily hide at Izuku's request. As far as the number one hero went, Izuku had been hanging out with friends after school, going on runs, or spending time at the arcade. Normal student stuff. While Izuku didn't like misleading his idol, he also didn't stop All Might from assuming that was what he was doing. Living with All Might still felt strange, but it was equally clear that All Might didn't quite know what to do with him either. Things could have continued the way they were indefinitely if Takahashi hadn't broken his stupid wrist. All Might had noticed that injury right away and taken him straight to the school nurse. Recovery Girl had pushed his sleeve back to look at his wrist and stopped, the dark purple and fading marks along his arms unmistakable.

All Might breathed in sharply. "Training, Midoriya?"

Izuku nodded, but didn't speak.

"Some of these bruises look days old. They can't have been from any of your classes. Midoriya, who did this?" Recovery Girl asked.

"It's nothing." Izuku pulled his sleeve back down. "I'm fine."

"You're fine?" Izuku had never heard All Might sound so angry. "You're covered in bruises. You're wrist is broken. You aren't fine. I let it go last time, because I trusted that you were telling the truth. Who did this, Midoriya?"

"It wasn't intentional!" Midoriya said, although he couldn't be one hundred percent sure of that, knowing Takahashi. "It was just a training exercise."

"No one at Yuuei would have let it get to this point, Midoriya. No one here would have broken your wrist and not brought you here themselves. Who have you been training with then?"

"I can't tell you."

"Midoriya-" All Might cut off when Recovery Girl placed a hand on his arm. They looked at each other for a moment before All Might nodded.

"If you really think that nothing is wrong here, Midoriya, then I'll be letting your wrist heal the natural way. I'll give you a brace to wear until it's better. But I'm not healing you so that you can run off and intentionally injure yourself again. Not if I can do something about it. It's been a week since your mother's death, and you haven't talked to anyone about it. This isn't healthy, and letting someone beat you up or throwing yourself into danger? That's not going to bring her back. That's not going to fix this. You need to stop whatever it is before you get yourself seriously hurt."

"Please, Midoriya," All Might said. "Let me help you."

Izuku's wrist ached. Guilt curled in his stomach at the look on All Might's face, but he couldn't stop. He was getting better! Takahashi's methods may not be something Yuuei would approve of, but it was getting results. That was all that mattered, right?

 **AN:** I've been posting this to AO3 under the same username, but finally got around to posting it here. Next chapter should be out by Wednesday.

You can find me on tumblr at theslytherinpaladin or on my mha sideblog dekuthegreatesthero

Leave a review and tell me what you thought?


	6. Chapter 5

It felt like the mats didn't cushion his fall at all when Izuku fell for the third time that day. Takahashi stood over him, his face twisted in a sneer.

"Honestly, kid, what are they teaching you at that school? You've been here every day for over two weeks and you can still barely last longer than two minutes?" Crouching closer to where Izuku struggled to catch his breath, Takahashi put pressure on the disappearing bruise he had given Izuku the first day. "Maybe I'm in the wrong profession. If all the kids at Yuuei are this pathetic, I might as well wait a few years and become a villain. It's not like you would be able to stop me."

His laugh grated on Izuku's ears, and he forced himself up, wobbling a bit as he caught his balance. "Go ahead. It would probably be funny to see you finally get arrested."

"Encouraging villainy? Doesn't really sound like something a pro hero would do."

Izuku launched himself at Takahashi again, but the older man blocked him easily, grabbing onto his broken wrist. The brace Recovery Girl had given him had helped, but it did nothing against Takahashi's tight grip, his fingers digging in hard enough that Izuku couldn't help but gasp. His wrist burned as he pulled it from his hold, but he didn't have time to respond before a foot collided with his already tender ribs and sent him crashing back towards the mats, his head bashing painfully against the floor despite the cushioning.

"This isn't even entertaining anymore. Are you sure you want to be here, Izuku? Because you certainly aren't putting in the effort."

"Maybe if you hadn't broken my wrist, bruised my ribs-" Izuku started, but Takahashi interrupted.

"You asked for this, kid. You literally asked me not to fight fair! You think a villain is going to take it easy on you because you're a kid? You already know that isn't true. Or did your mother dying not teach you anything?"

Ribs now screaming in protest, Izuku pulled himself to his feet again. "Stop." The rage that constantly simmered just under the surface rose until he felt that he was choking on it. Takahashi was trying to make him mad, Izuku knew that, but it didn't make his words any less effective. The fact that he was right only made it worse. Villains wouldn't take it easy on Yuuei students just because they were children. He, Tsuyu, Kacchan- they had all almost died because of it. Wasn't that why he had gone to Takahashi in the first place? So that he would be taken seriously? So that he wouldn't be treated with kid gloves? Knowing that didn't make Izuku want to punch the man in the face any less though.

"Why? That's what this is about isn't it? If you could fight back those injuries wouldn't have happened. I warned you! I told you not to go complaining when you got exactly what you asked for. But here we are. Poor little Izuku," Takahashi mocked. "Wants to be a hero, but can't use his quirk without breaking his own bones. And you're complaining about a slightly injured wrist. What a joke. Give it up. You couldn't save your mother. You can't save anyone, and all this training is doing is wasting my time."

"I've been improving!" Izuku protested, holding his aching wrist in his hand. "You can't say that I haven't."

Takahashi shook his head but there was no sympathy in his expression. "Don't lie to yourself, kid. You know you can't be a hero. The sooner you accept that the better. The way you are now, you'll die the second you try to take on whoever it was that killed her. Revenge is such a great motivator, I know, but you need to face reality. Move on. "

"This isn't about revenge, and you know it. You should know me well enough after of that research you did when we first met. I'm trying to protect the people important to me."

"You can't even protect yourself." Takahashi didn't even sound angry that Izuku kept arguing with him, he just sounded bored. "I'm just trying to-"

"Don't act like you're doing this to help me," Izuku ground out. "You don't care about me, or whether this kills me or not." His ribs burned, his wrist ached, but Izuku ignored it. "You just want your debt paid, and I'm not renegotiating the terms."

"I never said I did, and if you're expecting me to apologize for that then I don't know why you're here."

Izuku took a deep breath, forcing himself to remember all of the reasons he needed Takahashi. Putting up with all of this would be worth it, in the end. Takahashi's words, the injuries, he could deal with all of it because he had to. Despite what the older man had said, Izuku knew he had been improving before he broke his wrist. He would just have to learn how to adjust. That was all. As a hero, there would be times he would have to fight injured. Look at All Might! He had to deal with his major injury every day. Izuku could only imagine the extra strain shifting forms had on him, the amount of pain he was in every time he confronted a villain before the fight even started.

If Izuku was going to take over for All Might, if he was going to be the new symbol of peace, then he would eventually have to overcome this. Learning now would be better in the long run, Izuku thought, he would just have to put up with Takahashi for a little longer.

As if guessing his thoughts, Takahashi grinned.

* * *

All Might hadn't returned from Yuuei by the time Izuku got back to the house, so he went immediately to his room. Even though he hadn't been sleeping well since he moved in with the hero, he knew that if he pretended he had gone to bed he wouldn't have to deal with the questions and concern until the next morning. Avoiding All Might before school wouldn't be easy, but if Izuku waited until the last minute to get ready All Might would only have the ride to school to worry about. And that he could avoid by claiming some last minute homework.

Just as he had planned, Izuku slowly made his way downstairs a just before they needed to leave. All Might's expression immediately soured when he saw Izuku's face, fresh bruise spreading out from the underside of his jaw. Izuku knew he looked bad, the old bruise still yellowing across the side of his face and dark circles lining his eyes from lack of sleep.

All Might didn't say anything as they walked to the car, although Izuku could tell he wanted to. Izuku was thankful the ride to Yuuei was short, the tension of All Might's worry almost smothering. Like before, guilt crept in, a cold slowly making its way through his chest, but Izuku ignored it, forcing himself to focus on what he would do when he reached the classroom instead.

Izuku had lucked out when his classmates assumed he had gotten that first bruise from Takahashi during the attack when his mother died. No one had asked him directly about it, and Izuku had felt no need to correct them. The bruises that ran up his arms and legs were easily hidden by his uniform, the same with the bandages he had wrapped around his ribs. There would be no hiding the brace on his wrist though, or the dark spot blooming across his face. He supposed he should be glad that All Might hadn't noticed his wrist until classes had let out for the day, but he still didn't know what he was going to tell them. Knowing his friends, they weren't going to let it go either.

When the car let them out at Yuuei's back gate, Izuku walked slowly towards 1-A. Maybe if he got there just as the bell rang, he would have a little more time to think of how to explain his newest injuries. Probably not though, considering he had spent all of the time he couldn't sleep the night before trying to come up with an excuse. All Might knew he was training with someone, and although he didn't approve, Izuku knew the hero would wait for the right moment to confront him.

Uraraka and Iida would do no such thing, and Izuku couldn't really blame them. If either of them had shown up with mysterious injuries and no explanation he would be worried too. Even if he couldn't explain what had happened, it would be better to wait until-

"Midoriya!"Iida waved at him from across the courtyard. It seemed he wouldn't be avoiding this after all.

"Good morning, Iida-kun!" Izuku tried to greet his friend normally as he approached, but something must have sounded off to Iida because he looked at Izuku closely then stopped and looked again.

"Midoriya."

"Yes, Iida?"

"Why is there a large bruise across your face? And why is your wrist in a brace?" Iida, always rational, always in control, had a considering expression, clearly waiting for Izuku to offer a simple explanation for everything.

"Training accident." Izuku said hurriedly, starting towards the classroom, knowing Iida wasn't going to drop it. "It's really nothing."

"Training accident." Iida repeated slowly. "We haven't had any practical training exercises in the last week. You didn't have that bruise or that brace yesterday in class, meaning it couldn't have come from a Yuuei approved practical."

They had reached the classroom, but any hope of changing the subject disappeared when Uraraka turned around and saw his face.

"Oh no, Deku-kun! What happened?" She asked, reaching a hand out to gently touch the bruise and turning his head so she could get a better look.

"He said it was a training exercise." Iida said, his dry tone making it clear that he didn't believe him.

"But we haven't had a practical all week!" Uraraka dropped her hand, her eyes narrowing on Izuku. He rubbed at the back of his head, avoiding Uraraka's eyes as she and Iida exchanged a look he couldn't read. Well that was worrying. No one else in 1-A had paid them much attention when they arrived, so Uraraka grabbed Izuku's uninjured wrist and Iida's arm and dragged them over to their desks.

"Izuku," Uraraka started gently, "You haven't said much about who you're staying with."

...What? Where had that come from?

"You don't have to talk to us about it, if you aren't comfortable," Iida added, Uraraka still looking at him sadly, "but if whoever you're staying with…If they did this. You need to talk to someone."

Izuku stood frozen. He had imagined many different reactions from his friends, but this? This had not been one of them. "No!" Heads turned at the sudden shout, and Izuku turned his face away from them. "No. That's not it at all. Yagi-san would never hurt me." He shook his head. "It really was a training exercise. I swear. Just not a school approved one."

"And this.. Training exercise is leaving you like this?" Uraraka asked. "You agreed to this?"

When Izuku nodded, Uraraka's expression morphed into anger. "Why would you agree to that? Whoever you're training with is hurting you! This isn't a good idea."

"I need to get stronger. You've seen me use my quirk! Tsuyu and I almost died at USJ because I couldn't use it properly. If I don't have something to fall back on, then I'm going to get people killed if we're ever in that situation again! I need to do this."

"That's what Yuuei is for." Iida insisted. "We're supposed to get the training we need here."

"Right. _Supposed to_. But when have we ever been trained in hand to hand that didn't involve our quirks? That's right. Never, and until I can use my quirk without hurting myself and putting others at risk, that's what I need." There was no way they could understand. They had both had their quirks their whole lives. Using their quirks was second nature to them.

"Izuku-"

"Are you really okay? I know you haven't been eating at lunch and-"

"I need you to drop this, guys," Izuku said, sitting down at his desk.

"But-"

"Look at that. It's almost time for class."

"Izuku-"

The bell rang and Aizawa walked in. Uraraka and Iida didn't look happy about it, but with class starting there was nothing they could do about it.

Even though it meant skipping lunch again, Izuku avoided Uraraka and Iida the rest of the day. Everyone had noticed his injuries, but no one had approached him about them after seeing how he had reacted earlier. When the final bell rang Izuku jumped to his feet, shoving his things in his bag as his friends made their way towards them. He had just thrown his bag over his shoulder when Aizawa said, "Midoriya. Stay behind."

"I was-"

"You were going to sit back down and wait. Yes, that's what I thought." He said, his tone flat.

The class cleared quickly, but Uraraka and Iida hovered at the door.

"Just Midoriya." They hesitated a moment longer, but left after shooting Izuku one last worried look.

When they were finally alone Aizawa turned to Izuku. Weeks had passed since USJ, but Aizawa's face was still covered in bandages, both of his arms still in casts. Images of Aizawa held down by the noumu rose to the front of Izuku's mind, but he pushed them aside. Now wasn't the time to think about that.

The door slid open a moment later, and All Might entered, his face grave. "Midoriya," Aizawa said. "It has been brought to my attention that you have been training outside of Yuuei in a questionable manner."

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but All Might didn't give him the chance to argue. "You have a broken wrist. Two bruises on your face, who knows how many other bruises, and from the way you're moving there is also something wrong with your ribs. This isn't okay. We're you teachers, young Midoriya. I know that I haven't helped you as I should have, and I have no excuse for that other than inexperience, but as your teachers we can't allow you to continue doing this to yourself."

"Uraraka Ochako and Iida Tenya have both come forward expressing their concerns as well." Aizawa added. "They say that in addition to this training, you haven't been eating lunch."

"And I haven't seen you eat much either. This is _dangerous_."

"I know this is dangerous!" Izuku stood back up, his chair screeching across the floor. "That's why I'm doing this!" Pointing at Aizawa, Izuku said, "You're the one who said I couldn't rely on my quirk the way it was. And you were right! At USJ I could barely do anything! I've tried and tried to figure this quirk out, and I'm no where closer than I was when school started, and while I'm not giving up on it I needed another solution. So I'm learning to fight without a quirk, like I should have in the first place."

"Fight without your quirk?" All Might looked stunned.

"I needed to learn and I knew someone who could do it."

"If you wanted to learn, all you had to do was ask, Midoriya." Aizawa said.

"I didn't know if you would agree after everything that happened," Izuku answered, "I-I couldn't take the risk." He wanted to say more, but snowy spots appeared in the corners of his vision.

"You've been through two majorly traumatic events recently, Midoriya," All Might moved towards him. "It's understandable to take a break after that, but you wouldn't have been refused training."

"While you went about it the wrong way, you do have a point. Non-quirk fighting can be added to the class. But you have to stop this."

Aizawa continued to speak, but there was a ringing in Izuku's ears now drowning out the words. His ribs throbbed painfully.

"Midoriya?" All Might interrupted. "Are you alright?"

Izuku gripped the back of his chair, the room spinning.

"Did you eat anything today, Midoriya?" Izuku shook his head, almost losing his balance. "Yesterday?" His hesitation was answer enough.

"Get Recovery Girl! Midoriya?"

Izuku dropped his hands from the chair as he fell, the world going white.

"Izuku!" Izuku sat up suddenly, rubbing at his eyes. He felt sure that classes had just ended, but the sky was dark through the window. He must have fallen asleep, but when had he gotten back home? The apartment was bright and-The apartment. Why was he at the apartment? He hadn't been back there since…

"Izuku!"

Footsteps sounded behind him, immediately sending a chill down his spine. He turned slowly, dreading what he would see, and froze.

"Mom?"

 **AN:** Shorter chapter this week, but if I added the next scene it would be way too long.

Up next week: Some long overdue realizations, dorms, and an almost forgotten letter

Leave a review and let me know what you thought!


	7. Chapter 6

"Mom?" Izuku stared at the kitchen doorway where his mother stood. Alive. It had to be a trick, a trap, the result of some quirk. There was no way he could be sitting in his apartment with his mother looking at him, the soft expression on her face making his heart twist painfully.

The last thing he remembered was talking to Aizawa and All Might. He had gotten dizzy and… "This isn't real." Overwhelming grief crashed over him. Midoriya Inko had died. Of course this wasn't real.

Inko smiled sadly at her son, moving towards him. Izuku took a halting step back and she stopped, sighing as she looked him over. "You did pass out, Izuku. That is the truth. But that doesn't make this any less real. Doesn't make what I have to tell you any less important." She looked like his mother, sounded like his mother. The tilt of her head as she nervously watched his reaction was the same.

It took a split second, a moment of indecision, before Izuku ran to her, throwing himself in his mother's arms. The familiar smell of jasmine and vanilla filled the air as her arms tightened around him. "How?" His voice broke as he asked. It didn't matter, not really. Not with her somehow here, even if just for this moment.

Inko pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, her face pressing against his hair. "We live in a world of superpowers, Izuku. Anything is possible. I would do everything I could for you, my dear. Don't ever doubt that. You think something as silly as death could stand in my way when you're hurting?"

Her arms started to loosen, but Izuku hung on, refusing to let her move an inch. Her watery laugh sounded in his ear. "I'm not going anywhere, Izuku. Not yet. We have some things we need to talk about, and it would probably be better if we were sitting." Izuku let her move away enough to maneuver them back to the sofa. As soon as they were sitting Izuku hugged her again, trying to set everything to memory.

"Izuku." He looked up at her, knowing immediately what she wanted to talk about. Izuku was glad there wasn't disappointment in her expression, only worry and that same sad smile. "You haven't been taking care of yourself. Have you?"

"I-" Izuku didn't know what to say.

"Don't lie to me Izuku." The gentleness of her tone made him flinch. "I've always known when you're lying. I may not have known about what exactly, but I could always tell when you held something back. But you don't need to hide anything now. I know all about All Might," Inko paused for a moment, glancing away from Izuku before continuing. "I know about One for All, and this so called training you've been doing. You're going to hurt yourself, Izuku. Takahashi is not a good person. He doesn't care about you or your safety."

She reached for Izuku's wrist, the one he had broken although he felt no pain here, and lightly traced where the bruises from Takahashi's fingers should have been. "If I could, I would have a conversation with that man that he would greatly regret. I know I didn't use my quirk all that often, but I used to be very good at throwing marbles." A slow grin spread across her face. "I don't think it would take me very long to get my aim back."

"But I have to do this, Mom. I have to get better!," The thoughts that had been eating away at him and keeping him up at night came bubbling up at his mother's concern. "You've seen what using One for All does to me. I can't control it! All it's done is put the people I care about in danger. It's my fault you died. I caught the League's attention, but I can't do anything about it. And All Might! He's in even more danger than before, and he can barely use any of his power."

"While I don't agree with some of the decisions All Might has made-he most certainly should have talked to me instead of encouraging you to lie, let alone more training- he made the right decision in trusting you." Inko placed her hands on her son's face, forcing him to look at her. "Izuku it is absolutely not you fault. If you had been there you would have been killed too, we would have still been outnumbered, and you are still a child. As you should be."

Izuku couldn't stand to see his mother cry now, all of the feelings he had been avoiding for weeks fighting the barriers he had created around them. The anger. The grief. The utter loneliness. They pushed against the cracks in his defense, shattering through his shields as a sob broke in his throat.

Inko wasn't done. "I'm glad you weren't there, Izuku, because I would rather have to face those villains alone a million times if it meant you didn't have to. If it meant keeping you safe, because it's my job to protect you not the other way around." Izuku buried his face in his mother's shoulder as she hugged him again.

"Now I want you to stop blaming yourself for what happened. I am so, so sorry I've left you like this, Izuku, but you need to stop punishing yourself. Quit seeing Takahashi and ask All Might to help. He's made mistakes in the past that he needs to deal with, but he really does want to take care of you. He wants to do better. That doesn't mean you let him off the hook when he messes up though, do you hear me? I know that you look up to him, but he needs to be there for you more than he has. He's taken on that responsibility, and he has to live up to it. Do you understand?"

Inko's tone left no room for argument. Izuku could only nod in response. "Promise me that you'll take care of yourself. Live your life. For me. For yourself. Be happy. It'll be hard, but I know that you can do it." Her voice broke, and Izuku leaned back to see Inko crying now.

His heart sunk. No. Not yet! He had just gotten her back! She couldn't leave already! "Mom!"

"I love you, Izuku," Inko said hurriedly through her tears. "I love you more than anything, never doubt that. You're going to be a great hero, I know it, and I am so proud of you."

The scene around them began to fade, the details of their apartment blurring until it was almost unrecognizable. "I love you too, Mom," Izuku cried, hugging onto her tight as if he could stop her from disappearing as well. "You are the greatest mother I could have asked for."

"Promise me, Izuku. You'll look after yourself?"

"I promise."

The last thing Izuku saw was his mother smiling, tears streaking her face, and then the world went white once more.

"Midoriya?"

Izuku groaned at the sound of his name, blinking quickly against the harsh light. For a moment he felt disoriented. He was in his room, not the apartment, and his mother...It hurt so much, everything that Izuku had repressed welling up again, so much stronger than they had seemed a moment ago. He choked on another sob, unable to stop himself now that the wall had broken.

"Midoriya?" All Might sat on the edge of his bed, looking at him just as worried as his mother had. Tears falling in full now, Izuku launched himself at the hero, hugging him as he cried.

"Toshinori-san," he hiccuped, "I'm s-so sorry."

Toshinori fumbled for a moment, caught off guard, but hesitantly returned Izuku's hug, his hand rubbing slow circles on his student's back as he vaguely remembered someone doing for him. "It's going to be okay, Izuku. I promise. I'm here, and everything is going to be okay."

For the first time since his mother's death Izuku felt like it just might.

* * *

They stayed like that for a long time, until Izuku's tears had finally dried and he sat up, Toshinori still looking at him with concern. "I'm sorry, my boy. I haven't been taking responsibility like I should have. I thought that you needed space after what happened. I told you that I lost someone when I was about your age too? Well, I wasn't left alone for a minute, and it all felt so suffocating. I didn't want to make the same mistake, but it seems that I went too far in the opposite direction. You got hurt because of it, and I am so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

Izuku rubbed at his eyes. All M- Toshinori sounded sincere, his voice breaking as he asked. Inko had been right that Toshinori had made mistakes. There were things he should have told Izuku, things he still needed to tell Izuku, but he didn't blame him for what had happened. "It was my fault too. I should have talked to you, but I felt like I wasn't going to be taken seriously. That you all would want me to take things easy when I felt responsible too."

"Izuku, you have to know it wasn't-"

"I know. My mother helped me realize that." Toshinori looked like he wanted to ask, but then thought better about it.

"If you really want to learn to fight without One for All, I will help you however I can. That's another area I have failed you, Izuku, and from now on I will devote everything towards making sure you're prepared. I know I don't say it enough, but I do care about you. You are...you are very important to me, and I will do my best to give you everything you need."

"You still want me to stay?" Izuku couldn't hide the tremor in his voice as he looked at at Toshinori, his eyes watering again.

"I will always want you to stay. As long as you want to be here, this is you home now Izuku. Nothing you could do would ever make me change my mind." And with that Izuku was crying again and Toshinori pulled him into another tight embrace. He wouldn't fail Izuku again. The boy had been through too much already.

In the end Izuku still refused to tell them who had been training him, but he swore he wouldn't be receiving training outside of Yuuei approved instructors again. Recovery Girl didn't like it, but she agreed to heal his injuries with strict instructions not to train for the next week.

"But it's the last week before the Sports Festival!" Izuku tried to argue, but Recovery Girl wasn't having it.

"You should have thought about that before you pushed yourself past your limits. No training for the next week. I've healed most of your injuries, but you still need the break to recover completely if you want to be at full strength before the tournament."

"We can still talk strategy, my boy," Toshinori said. "And you'll be moving into the dorms this week too. Plenty of things going to on to keep you occupied, I'm sure."

* * *

Monday rolled around quickly, and like Toshinori said everyone became caught up in moving into the new dorms. Normal classes had been cancelled for the day so that students could get everything settled, but first they all met in their classroom to go over everything one last time and get their room assignments. While there were a few students who had grumbled when the dorms were first announced they all understood why the extra security measures were necessary, and the frustration quickly turned to excitement as move in day grew closer.

Busy working with Takahashi as he had been, Izuku hadn't cared much about the dorms. Now though, he looked forward to it just as much as his classmates. Izuku knew he would never truly be over his mother's death- the lingering pain a constant reminder of what he had lost- but he had to live his life in a way that would make Inko proud. The dream, whether it was real or not(and Izuku leaned towards it being real although he had no explanation), had been true in that regard. Inko would have wanted Izuku to be happy, and he refused to let her down again.

"As I said before," Aizawa started, cutting across the nervous whispers, "Each grade at Yuuei will have its own building. Each class will have it's own floor with girls on one side and boys on the other. You each will have your own bedroom and bathroom, but will share a small living space and kitchen with a roommate. A larger living room and kitchen will be available for the whole floor's use."

Izuku wondered who he would be paired with. Would it be randomized or were they taking personalities into account? He definitely wouldn't mind rooming with Iida, but what if he got paired with Kacchan? Surely their teachers wouldn't do something as reckless as that, knowing how the two boys didn't get along. No. They wouldn't want their new dorms ruined when they had just been built. And even if it wasn't Iida, the rest of Class-A wasn't bad. He didn't know them as well but, aside from Kacchan and maybe Mineta, he didn't feel that he would have any problems living with any of them.

"Your room assignments are as follows: For the girls- Uraraka and Asui. Ashido and Hagakure. Jirou and Yaoyorozu." Cheers went up from the girls as their names were called.

"And for the boys-Shouji and Mineta."

"Tough luck, Shouji." Tsuyu said quietly.

Aizawa spoke over Mineta's protest. "Ojiro and Tokoyami. Sero and Aoyama. Satou and Kouda. Iida and Kaminari." And there went that chance, Izuku thought worriedly going over the names of who was left. They couldn't. They wouldn't.

"Kirishima and Bakugou." Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. "And Midoriya and Todoroki."

Todoroki.

Izuku glanced back at his new roommate, but Todoroki wasn't looking at him. They hadn't talked much. As far as Izuku could remember they hadn't even had a real conversation. The most they had probably interacted had been at USJ, and even then just for a moment. Rooming with Todoroki couldn't be that bad then. They had barely knew each other, but that didn't mean they couldn't end up being friends. It automatically had to be better than rooming with someone he had a longstanding feud he didn't fully understand, right?

Wrong. So very and completely wrong.

Todoroki it seemed had gotten special permission to move in the day before. Something about his father being away on an assignment. When they reached the dorms, Todoroki went straight to his room and shut the door without a word while Izuku marvelled over how nice the dorms were. The kitchen was small since they all had access to the complete one down the hall, but his bedroom didn't look like what he expected at all-just as big as his room at Toshinori's if not larger.

No one would recognize Toshinori in his usual form, so the hero came to help him unpack and get settled. Not that Izuku had a lot of stuff with him. His apartment was still considered an active crime scene, and although Toshinori had gotten permission from Tsukauchi to get a fews things for Izuku he wanted nothing that had been in his room. A photo album. His mother's favorite mug. The blanket from the sofa. It wasn't a lot, but Izuku appreciated the effort Toshinori had gone through to make sure he still had things with good memories of his mother attached.

When everything was mostly put away Toshinori pulled Izuku in for another hug. "I'll still see you in class, Izuku my boy. And you know you are welcome to stay with me any weekend you want." He placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "I meant what I said about being there for you. I need to get one more thing taken care of and then we'll start figuring out how to get you better control over One for All. I promise."

"Thanks, Toshinori-san."

He saw Toshinori to the door and then took a deep breath, looking over at Todoroki's room. The door was still closed. Izuku couldn't hear anyone inside, but he knew Todoroki still had to be there. He stood, wringing his hands for a moment before knocking hesitantly.

It was silent long enough for Izuku to start to wonder if Todoroki had somehow left without him knowing before the door slowly opened. Todoroki didn't speak, his expression blank as Izuku struggled to find his words. "Um.. I know we haven't really talked before, Todoroki-kun, but I'm glad we get this chance to get to know each other? I was thinking maybe we could talk about all of this? I've never had a roommate before, but I'm sure it'll all work out and-"

"I'm not here to make friends." Todoroki interrupted.

Izuku stopped, thrown by Todoroki's words and the glare his roommate was now sending his way.

"Stay out of my business, and I'll stay out of yours. We shouldn't have any problems." And then the door slammed in Izuku's face.

* * *

Toshinori knew he had made the right decision, but that didn't make what he was doing any easier. He felt the eyes of the other passengers the entire train ride out, but he ignored them and focused on the same thoughts running around and around in his head. He had failed Izuku far too many times. He was supposed to be the symbol of peace, and yet he had to continue to rely on his student for support.

From their very first meeting Izuku had pushed Toshinori to do the things he needed to do. He had allowed himself to become complacent, and Izuku had been the spark he needed to kick himself back into gear. Again and again his young student had proved just why he was the right choice to be the next inheritor of One for All. That kindness, that drive to help others. Izuku sacrificed so much to become a hero, and unfortunately Toshinori knew he would have many other challenges in the future. So he had to do this, no matter the emotional-and physical- pain it would put him through. He owed him that much, and so much more.

Toshinori didn't know how to help Izuku, so he would have to go to the one person who could.

When his train finally reached his stop, Toshinori steeled himself for what he knew was coming. The walk from the station to the old, run down apartment building took much less time than Toshinori would have liked, and before long he found himself outside of the room hesitating to knock. He could still turn back, still put off the painful memories a little longer.

But Izuku needed help. Toshinori would do what he had to do.

A short knock and a moment later the door swung open.

"Well, well. Toshi," Gran Torino said, smiling at his old student. "What a surprise."

* * *

Izuku didn't know what he did to make Todoroki dislike him so intensely, but he decided to let it go for now. Todoroki clearly didn't want to talk to him, and Izuku wouldn't force him. He would just have to hope that he would get the chance to talk to him again later. They were roommates after all. It's not like Todoroki could avoid him forever. They would work it out eventually.

Instead of worrying, Izuku tried to push the issue aside for the moment and finish putting up the few things he had left. It was when he was arranging his bookshelf that a letter fell quietly to the floor. His mother's letter. After the lawyer had given it to him, Izuku had shoved it in with his school things. He hadn't forgotten about it, but… It was the last words he would ever get from his mother. Could he really read them? Could he really afford not to?

Taking the letter, Izuku sat down on his bed and carefully split the seal on the back. His mother's handwriting covered the pages.

 _My dear Izuku,_

 _I have given strict instructions that this letter is to be destroyed on your eighteenth birthday. I hope that I am just being paranoid and that you will never have need to read this letter, but I can't take the risk. Heroes are amazing, but with them comes villains. Accidents happen. So while I hope this letter isn't needed, if you are reading this, Izuku, I am so sorry for leaving you to go through this, and I apologize for having to tell you this through writing rather than in person._

 _When you were little you used to ask me about your father a lot. I felt bad every time I changed the subject, but I didn't want to lie to you. I should have told you the truth when you were in elementary school, but then the doctor said you were quirkless and.. You were so crushed, Izuku, I didn't want to make things worse. Then middle school passed by too quickly as well. Each year that passes I write another version of this letter, and I still don't know how to explain._

 _Midoriya Hisashi is a very kind man. Someone I still consider a friend to this day. But Izuku, he isn't your father._

 _I had just graduated college when I met him. So kind, so driven. You remind me of him in a lot of ways, although I think that you take after me in your looks. We were together for only a year, but I loved him. I'm positive he loved me too, despite everything. I still wonder to this day what would have happened if he hadn't wanted to be a hero, if he hadn't had such a heavy responsibility on his shoulders._

 _My friends thought he was leading me on, that we were moving too fast. I knew he had secrets, secrets he couldn't tell me about his quirk, about what exactly he had been tasked to do, but I trusted him. When we broke up he said it was for my safety, and my friends felt like that was the proof they were looking for all along. We never saw him in the news after that, they said, so clearly he must have been lying about what was going on. But he was too good of a person for that to be the truth. I never told him I was pregnant._

 _I met Hisashi not long after you were born. We were both this in love with people we had lost for one reason or another. When we finally realized we were trying to replace them with each other we decided to divorce. I kept his name, because it gave me the feeling of a fresh start. A chance to start over._

 _What you do with this, Izuku, is up to you. I should have told you long ago, and now all I can offer you is his name- Yagi Toshinori. I don't know where he went after we broke up, what his hero name is, or what he might be doing. But you deserve to know the truth._

 _I hope you aren't too mad at me for keeping this from you, and I want you to know that no matter what happens I will always be with you. Nothing as silly as death could keep me from being there for you. I love you so much, Izuku, and I am so proud of everything you have become._

 _With all my love,_

 _Mom_

 **AN:** Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I really really appreciate it.

Sorry for the cliffhanger! Next chapter will be out Wednesday. Up next is the Sports Festival. First canon events, but I'll be changing things up just a little bit.

Leave a comment and let me know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 7

An hour passed and Izuku hadn't moved from his spot on the bed. He stared at the letter still gripped tightly in his shaking hands. The words stared back, unchanged no matter how many times he read them.

 _Yagi Toshinori_.

Izuku could almost convince himself that the entire thing was a massive joke except for the fact that the letter was clearly in his mother's handwriting. Inko would never lie to him, not about something like this, which meant the letter had to be true. The implications of that refused to settle in Izuku's head.

On the one hand, Izuku could understand why Toshinori hadn't made the connection himself. According to his mother, Toshinori hadn't seen Inko in fifteen years and her last name had changed. Izuku had told her nothing about All Might or One for All at the hero's request. Since Inko believed his quirk had just manifested late for some reason, Toshinori had no reason to be in contact with her. That meant the first time Toshinori would have seen Inko would have been when he rushed to answer Izuku's frantic phone call, and Izuku couldn't blame him for not recognizing her then.

Izuku, himself, couldn't reconcile the image of his bedroom that night with the person his mother had been. It was too much to expect Toshinori to be capable of that under the circumstances.

On the other hand, what was Izuku supposed to do now? If he accepted the letter to be the truth-and he knew that he had to no matter how strange it felt to even consider- he needed to make a decision. He couldn't just shove the letter aside and forget about it. The hero he had looked up to all his life, the person that inspired him to be better, the mentor that had entrusted him with his power and responsibility was _his father._ This was life altering no matter what Izuku decided to do. He had no control over that.

Should he tell Toshinori? Simply hand him the letter and let him read the truth for himself? Toshinori had made it clear that he wanted to be there for Izuku. That he would be taking his role as his mentor more seriously. How would that change when he found out that his student was his son? Their relationship had changed since Izuku had finally broken down about what happened. Would that progress be wiped clean if Toshinori knew the truth? He would still do what's best for Izuku, that wouldn't change, but Izuku knew that it would always be in the back of his mind every time his anxiety peaked. Was Toshinori doing it because he cared about Izuku or because he felt like it was his duty because Izuku was his son?

Izuku had spent years when he was younger wishing that he had inherited his father's quirk. It turned out he had, just not in the way he had expected.

Carefully putting the letter back in the envelope, Izuku tucked it into his mother's photo album and placed it in his desk drawer. He wouldn't tell Toshinori about the letter. Not yet, at least. Not until he had time to think about it more.

His cellphone rang and, feeling confident in his decision, Izuku reached for it without thinking. The calm acceptance he had spent the last hour wrapping himself in vanished in an instant the moment he saw the name that flashed up with the incoming call.

Toshinori was calling. Yagi Toshinori, also known as All Might, who just happened to be his father. _All Might was his father._ Like a flip had been switched Izuku started panicking all over again, leading him to accidently throw his phone across the room. The phone stopped ringing.

Quickly, Izuku picked it up just as Toshinori started calling again.

"Um, T-Toshinori-san?" Izuku squeaked, his voice rising as he accepted the call. The words of his mother played over and over again in his mind, and he felt sure in that moment that somehow Toshinori already knew the truth. He was calling to voice his disappointment, that he wouldn't acknowledge it or him, that he wasn't-

"Izuku, are you alright?" Toshinori's worried voice came through filtered with static.

"I'm okay. Sorry..I um.. Dropped my phone?" Of course Toshinori didn't know. He wouldn't know-couldn't know- unless Izuku told him. All he had to do was act natural. As far as Toshinori knew, nothing had changed in the hours since he had helped Izuku move into the dorms. Izuku needed to act like nothing had changed too.

He almost dropped his phone again when Toshinori spoke again. "Are you sure? You sound a little.. Out of breath?"

"Just getting another workout in," Izuku responded. It wasn't even a lie really, with the stress he was putting his heart through with a simple phone call. "I'm not using One for All or anything though! I won't break my promise."

"I didn't doubt you, my boy, don't worry. I was just calling to ask if you could meet with me after classes tomorrow. I know there's a lot going on with you all moving in the dorms, but I talked to an old teacher of mine and he gave me some advice that, well… It'll be better if I can explain in person. You won't be able to try anything- Recovery Girl's orders and all- but it will give the both of us something to think about this next week."

Izuku could barely handle a phone call, how was he going to be able to spend time alone with the hero knowing what he did? But he would have to get over it at some point, and he really didn't want to avoid Toshinori… "I can stay after classes. Do you want me to meet you at the staff room?"

"I'll swing by and pick you up when your last class ends. Better get a start on things as soon as possible, after all. Only one week left until the Sports Festival. And, Izuku?"

"Yes, Toshinori-san?" Izuku was proud that his voice only wavered a little as he said his name.

"I know that everyone is talking up the importance of the festival, but don't feel that you have to compete if you aren't up for it. There will be other opportunities to show the world what you can do. This won't be your only chance."

For weeks, almost as soon as classes had started for the year, people had been emphasizing how much a strong or weak performance in the first year competition could affect their chances at going pro. It had been stressed again and again that they needed to take it seriously. Izuku had watched the games on TV for years, and every time he had seen the students who won move on to become popular heroes. He couldn't miss an opportunity like that, but he felt pleased to know that Toshinori seemed to have that much confidence in his potential still.

"Thanks, Toshinori-san, but I want to participate. My mom… She was excited about seeing me there. I can't let her down."

"I understand. I just wanted you to know you had another option."

Izuku couldn't help but smile at that. "I know."

"I'll be there when you get out of class tomorrow. Enjoy your time at the dorms. I'm sure the rest of your classmates will be planning something."

"I will. Goodnight, Toshinori-san."

"Have a good night, Izuku."

When the line disconnected Izuku laid back on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. "I can do this." He had made it through the call, and although Toshinori had been concerned at the beginning he didn't seem to suspect anything. Apparently being a nervous person in general was finally going to pay off.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to think about anything else if he stayed in his room, Izuku decided to take Toshinori's advice. Iida and Uraraka would probably be done unpacking by now, and even if they weren't Izuku would be glad to help.

The door to Todoroki's room was still closed when Izuku left, but he didn't try to talk to him again. Maybe Uraraka or Iida would know what Todoroki seemed to have against him. He had only gone a few steps down the hallway when Uraraka turned the corner.

"Uraraka-san!" He called, waving her over.

"Deku-kun! Did you finish moving everything in?" It felt weird seeing Uraraka wearing something other than her school uniform while they were still on campus, and from the look she was giving him, head tilted to the side in thought, she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Just finished. I was actually on my way to see if you and Iida-kun were done."

"Same here!" She beamed at him. " Do you know where his room is? I remember him saying the two of you weren't on the same hall, but he didn't tell me more than that."

"It shouldn't be too hard to find. The rooms are supposed to all have our names on them."

"Well, let's go!" Izuku fell in step beside her.

"Do you think you'll like rooming with Asui-san?" He asked, as they down another hallway.

"I think so." Uraraka said. "We're already friends, and I don't think we'll have any problems adjusting to living together. You know how Tsuyu is. She doesn't hold anything back. I'm sure if there's ever a problem we'll be able to sort it out quickly. What about you and Todoroki-kun?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you and Iida about that?"

"Oh?" Uraraka turned to him, concerned.

They stopped outside of the door labelled Iida-Kaminari. "I'll tell you and Iida-kun together."

Uraraka hummed her agreement, stepping forward to knock on the door. There was the sound of a crash, metal colliding with the hardwood floors, and Kaminari opened the door, sheepish. "Hey guys! Uh, ignore the sound you just heard, it was nothing. I can fix it, I swear!"

Uraraka and Izuku exchanged a look, but didn't argue. Whatever Kaminari had just broken, it was probably better if they didn't know. "We were just stopping by to see Iida-kun?"

"He's in his room, go right ahead." Kaminari let them through, closing the door behind them. "I'm just going to," he pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "deal with that, I guess. See you later."

Iida's door was cracked, and Uraraka knocked again. "Iida-kun! It's Uraraka and Deku-kun!"

When Iida opened the door his expression was grave. "These dorms are a terrible, terrible idea."

Uraraka and Izuku traded looks again, stepping hesitantly into their friend's room. Everything looked in perfect order already, nothing visible that would cause him that much distress. "Your room looks great, Iida-kun!" Uraraka said, taking the seat at his desk. "What makes it a terrible idea?"

"Roommates." Iida groaned, sitting on his bed and gesturing for Izuku to sit beside him. "It's been four hours and Kaminari has already broken a box of my coffee mugs, his own dishes, and another box of things I haven't even wanted to check yet."

"That crash?"

"I'm pretending I didn't hear that." Iida said seriously, straightening the books on his wall shelf.

"You guys just need to get used to each other! Set some ground rules." Uraraka encouraged.

"In most situations like this roommates are required to make up some kind of contract, but I've already checked and Yuuei hasn't made an official rule for that yet. Kaminari-san just wants to work things out as they happen! I cannot believe an institution like Yuuei did not consider the repercussions of something like this." Iida huffed.

"Maybe they think this will be a good exercise for having to work with other heroes in the future?" Izuku asked.

"That's a good point. But even then, there are guidelines for those interactions. We need some kind of structure." He sighed. "What about your rooming situations? Do you think you could benefit from something like that? It is the first time Yuuei has had dorms. It's not too late for a rule like that to be added."

"I think I'll be fine with Tsuyu-chan," Uraraka said, spinning back and forth in Iida's chair as she talked. "But I can definitely see why that would be helpful. What about you, Deku-kun? You said you were going to ask us something about Todoroki?"

Iida turned to look at Izuku. "Yes, you're rooming with Todoroki-kun. How is that?"

"It seems, I don't know, weird?"

"Weird?"

"I just." Izuku paused, picked at a loose thread on Iida's comforter. "Can you guys think of a reason that Todoroki-kun might be mad at me?"

Uraraka blinked. "Mad at you?"

It made Izuku feel a little better to see that Iida looked just as confused. "You and Todoroki haven't really talked before though. Why do you think he's mad at you?"

Izuku shrugged. "I tried to do what you were talking about, Iida-kun." Izuku waved his arms towards his friend. "I asked him if he wanted to talk about how all of this being roommates thing would work, and he just glared at me. Said as long as I stayed out of his business he would stay out of mine. And then he closed the door in my face."

Iida frowned, looking thoughtful. "That does sound like he has a problem of some kind, but I don't know why it would have been with you. Did you see his family there when you moved in?"

Shaking his head Izuku answered, "He apparently moved in the day before because of his dad's work."

"I don't think it could have been anything you did, Deku-kun, but that really is weird."

"He even made the room colder! When he slammed the door it was like the temperature around it had dropped like 20 degrees."

"Cold, Todoroki," Uraraka said and then giggled. Izuku couldn't help but laugh too.

"This is exactly why we need a rule like this in place!" Iida said. "You live in the same space, you're going to have to interact eventually."

"You can talk to Aizawa about in in homeroom tomorrow. I'm sure he would be able to tell you how to suggest it to Principal Nezu!" Uraraka said. "Until then though, since we're all moved in, I think we should do something to celebrate!"

"Celebrate?"

"This will probably be the last break we have for a while too, with the sports festival and then internships and exams," Izuku added. "What about a movie night? I'm sure someone has popcorn, and we can use the big TV in the common area. Invite the rest of the class too."

"It would help get everyone used to living in the same space, I suppose. We are going to be seeing each other a lot more now."

"I'll text Tsuyu-chan. She can round everyone else up! Great idea, Deku-kun!"

One last night off was just what they all needed.

* * *

Almost all of 1-A had shown up for movie night, and they were all regretting that decision the next morning. One movie had quickly turned into three when even Iida had been convinced that they should enjoy their time off while they could. It was only the short walk from the dorms to the main building that kept Izuku from being late when he slept through his alarm.

Aizawa, early to homeroom for once, was waiting for him when he arrived. "Midoriya, you're excused from homeroom for the day." His expression was blank as he handed Izuku a pass. "Recovery Girl wants to see you. You can join your usual classes when you're finished."

Izuku grimaced. Because of his meetings with Takahashi, Izuku had been skipping the meetings Recovery Girl had scheduled with him after USJ. He should have known that she would want to meet with him again now that he had promised those training sessions had ended, and since she could ban him from participating in the sports festival for now meeting her guidelines Izuku would have no choice but to go.

"Thanks Aizawa-sensei."

The door to the nurse's office was open when Izuku got there, and he closed it softly behind him. Like during their first meeting Recovery Girl was already seated at her desk, a chair pulled out in front of it. Izuku sat down warily.

"You know you aren't the only student I meet with, Midoriya-kun." Recovery Girl said, shuffling the folders on her desk without looking at him. "I can't tell you names, of course, but there are many students who meet with me to find ways of coping with the things they have had to deal with during their internships or interactions with villains."

Izuku didn't know what to say. Should he talk about what he had been through with someone? that didn't mean that he wanted to. Or that he wanted that person to be Recovery Girl.

"Some of the pro heroes stop by from time to time too. Old students who need advice, heroes I've known a long time. One of those heroes gave me permission to talk to you about this, asked me in particular to tell you because he thought that I would be able to help you more than him. Yagi-san. He wanted to make sure that you were okay, but he didn't want to put pressure on you to tell him things you weren't comfortable discussing."

Toshinori had asked her to talk to him? Had been concerned about how he was doing?

Recovery Girl continued. "I've been meeting with him fairly frequently over the past few years. Not many people know about One for All, and therefore Yagi-san doesn't have as many people he can confide in honestly. He realized that by asking you to keep the truth about your quirk a secret he would be trapping you in the same situation."

"I still can't tell anyone though," Izuku pointed out. "It would still be too dangerous."

"That is true, which is why he wanted me to speak with you. Yours is a rare situation, but what I think Yagi-san forgets is that it is not totally unique." She paused, her expression thoughtful. "He thinks that you would be uncomfortable talking to him about something so personal, but I can see it in your expression that I am not the right person."

Izuku opened his mouth to protest, even though she was exactly right. She raised a hand, cutting him off. "I am not offended, Midoriya-kun. Some students find it easy to talk to me about personal issues because I am detached from the situation, others do not. My job here is to make sure that you get the help that you need. I can't make you talk to me, and I wouldn't if I could. But I do encourage you to talk to Yagi-san."

Izuku nodded slowly. The movie night had been an excellent distraction, but when Izuku had gotten back to his room he had pulled his mother's letter out and read it over again. He still didn't know how he would handle seeing Toshinori that afternoon, still didn't want to tell him about what the letter had said, but he could talk to him about this.

"You two are a lot alike, you know." Recovery Girl said wisely. "Yagi-san needs just as much reassurance in your relationship as you. Talk to him about what you can. He'll wait for the rest."

Startled, Izuku looked up at her with wide eyes. There was no way she could- No. She was back to reading the pages spread across her desk. "Go ahead and head to class, Midoriya-kun. I better not see you in here for the rest of the week."

* * *

The rest of their classes dragged on until finally the last bell of the day sounded.

"Midoriya-kun," Iida asked, carefully packing up his bag. "Are you ready to walk back to the dorms?"

Izuku had spent the entire last class trying to force himself to pay attention as his eyes were drawn to the clock on the wall. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his fingers shaking as he tried to latch his bag closed. Toshinori would be here any second. The words of his mother's letter going around and around in his head. Toshinori who was All Might, who just also happened to be his father. He couldn't do this, he couldn't keep it together. How was he supposed to make it through their talk without letting it slip?

The class had steadily emptied and Uraraka had stopped at her desk, waiting for them.

"Midoriya-kun?"

The door slid open with a bang. "Midoriya-kun, my boy!" All Might's booming voice called. Izuku jumped, eyes wide with panic as the hero appeared. "Are you ready for our lesson?"

 **AN** : So I didn't quite get to canon events this chapter, but next week will be the start of the Sports Festival for sure.

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I love to hear what you all think.


	9. Chapter 8

Todoroki had done nothing more than glare at him since their first conversation in the dorms, so Izuku felt more than surprised when his roommate approached them before the opening ceremony. His usual expression hadn't changed as he stood before him, and for a moment Izuku wondered what Todoroki's face would look like if Izuku wasn't always on the receiving end of his anger.

In the week since they had moved in, Izuku had gotten no answer for why his roommate seemed to hate him. He had tried to talk to Todoroki, but every time he had been met with the same thing- a slammed door in his face. By the end of the week he had given up trying. All his attempts to make amends had done was make Todoroki more hostile, and that was the opposite of what Izuku wanted.

Uraraka and Iida had both paid extra attention in class to try to help him figure out the source of their conflict-if Izuku could even really call Todoroki ignoring his entire existence a conflict- but neither of them had been able to figure it out. Asking his other classmates was out of the question. The second he brought it up, everyone would know. Izuku didn't think that making Todoroki the class gossip would do anything to endear him to his roommate.

"If we're talking about pure skill levels," Todoroki said slowly, his eyes never leaving Izuku's face, "it's fair to say that I'm the stronger of the two of us, wouldn't you say?"

"What are you talking about, Todoroki-kun?" After not speaking to him for a week, this was the first thing Todoroki had to say to him? It should have been obvious that Todoroki's skill was on another level, and Izuku couldn't understand why Todoroki would feel the need to point that difference out.

"Then why is All Might paying you such attention?"

Izuku felt his blood run cold at the question. Todoroki had noticed. Izuku should have expected someone in class 1-A to realize that he had a closer relationship to All Might than the others. The two of them had tried to hide it, but anyone observant would have noticed that the number one hero seemed a little more fond of Izuku than his other students.

"I've alway been a big fan of All Might," Izuku tried to explain. "He was my inspiration for coming to Yuuei." All technically true. A reasonable explanation for why All Might had seemed to latch on to Izuku out of all of 1-A's students. There was no bigger All Might fan than Izuku, after all.

Todoroki's eyes narrowed, searching for the truth in what Izuku had said. And it was the truth, technically. All Might had been the reason Izuku originally wanted to attend the prestigious hero school long before he knew about One for All. "Whatever the case, I will still win."

"Whoa, whoa," Ashido whistled. "What's happening here?"

"Did the strongest in the class just challenge, Midoriya?" Kaminari asked.

"He's definitely one of the strongest," Ashido said, "but Midoriya should be in the conversation too. Think about what happened at USJ."

The sound of an explosion drew everyone's attention as Bakugou stalked up to the two. "Don't write everyone else off, hot and cold. The only one who's going to win today is me."

"Is not really the time for this, guys?" Kirishima interjected, going to place a hand on Bakugou's shoulder before he seemed to have second thoughts. "We're about to go out and-"

Todoroki ignore both of them. "I told you before, Midoriya. I'm not here to make friends. Whatever connection you have to All Might, it doesn't matter."

Izuku felt frozen in Todoroki's gaze. There was no way he knew the truth, and therefore no way he could know how closely his words had hit home. Did his connection, either as the inheritor of One for All or the fact that he was Toshinori's son really mean anything in the end? Toshinori had shaped the future of so many people's lives. All Might, the symbol of peace. It had been hard enough imagining living up to that image when he was simply the pro hero's student, but now that he knew he was his son?

The pressure had been overwhelming before, but now Izuku felt like he was choking on it. Nails pinched at his skin as Izuku closed his hands into fist, fighting to keep his voice calm as he spoke. "I also thought you said you would keep out of my business if I stayed out of yours."

Todoroki blinked as his words were turned back on him.

"I don't know why you felt the need to challenge me. Like you said, the difference in skill is obvious. Despite that though, I also want to say that I won't be losing either." Izuku took a deep breath. "We've all worked hard to be here. And I'll continue working hard to show everyone out there that I'm giving it everything I've got."

"What a serious atmosphere," Tsuyu quipped, looking on from the small group that had gathered at the start of their conversation.

"Don't just call them out like that!"

The tension might have continued had Aizawa not appeared to lead them to the opening ceremony. Izuku traded one last look with Todoroki before forcing his eyes forward. He couldn't worry about him right now All he needed to concentrate on was doing his best and not letting Toshinori down. It was time to tell the world that Midoriya Izuku had arrived.

* * *

Toshinori watched from the stands as the first years entered the arena. Even from that height it was easy to pick of the dark green of Izuku's hair among the other 1-A students, and Toshinori felt his heart clench. If he were being honest, he almost wished he had been able to convince Izuku not to compete. Everything was still happening so fast. It had only been a month since USJ, since his mother's murder. A single week since he had stopped seeing whoever it had been that injured him so badly.

Recovery Girl had given him the clear, but Toshinori could vividly remember the look on the young boy's face when he had pulled him aside to talk strategy. Shaking like a leaf, Izuku had stammered through his greeting, watching Toshinori with wide almost fearful eyes. It hurt that he still seemed to make his student so nervous, but he could only hope that Izuku would grow more comfortable in his presence as time passed.

As Bakugou stepped up onto the platform to make the opening remarks, Toshinori couldn't help but think about their lesson that day. Izuku still hadn't been approved to use his quirk, so he was unsure if his words had gotten through to him.

* * *

 _One Week Previous_

"You had something to tell me, Toshinori-san?" Izuku asked, not quite meeting his mentor's eyes.

"Yes, my boy." Izuku seemed to flinch at the words, and Toshinori's words caught in his throat at the unexpected response. He had never done that before, had he? Promising to pay closer attention, the hero continued on. "I've been to see an old teacher of mine from my days at Yuuei. He knows about One for All and it's unique qualities. I know I haven't done as well of a job as I could have with instructing you how to use it, so I asked for advice."

He rubbed at the back of his head which still somehow ached despite the time that had passed since leaving Gran Torino's home. The old hero had attacked Toshinori the moment the door had closed behind him, complaining about his sorry reaction time in his normal form and the fact that he would never stop needing to teach Toshinori something or other.

Part of it had been in jest, Toshinori knew. As much as Gran Torino terrified him, he knew he cared. His advice had been helpful despite the fact that he didn't seem to think that losing major organs was a valid reason to have slowed down since their last spar.

He just hoped that he would be able to help Izuku as much as Gran Torino had helped him.

"Don't worry about trying to use One for All right now, Izuku. Fully recovering from your recent injuries is the most important step right now," he said, trying to think about each word carefully. Izuku watched him with wide eyes.

"If I can't use it until the Sports Festival, then how will I be able to improve it?"

Toshinori sat at one end of the sofa in the teacher's lounge, motioning for Izuku to join him. He started, hesitating before sitting at the other end. "You've been trying to regulate One for All. I've been assuming this whole time that it would feel the same to you, but it's been pointed out to me that that might not be the case."

Izuku looked away from him, frowning in concentration. "I've been trying to picture it the way we talked about before. An egg in the microwave. But.."

"Go on," Toshinori encouraged. The frown became more severe.

"I thought it worked, at first. But now...It seems more like I'm trying to restrict it too much?" Izuku stopped again, searching for the right words. "Like it's breaking through my control because it's being held back too tightly. Does that make sense?"

Toshinori hummed, turning Izuku's words over in his mind. One for All increased in power every time it was passed on, adding strength from the previous holder. Learning from them in a way. It would make sense that the power Izuku tried to wield would be more difficult to handle than when Toshinori received it. How much stronger had he made the quirk? How much stronger would Izuku as a result?

"Does it feel like there's too much pressure then?"

"Too much pressure." Izuku mumbled. "That's exactly what it feels like. But if I don't try to limit how much I use I'll end up breaking bones anyway. There was this one time though, when we were at USJ."

Toshinori leaned forward, listening carefully. "It felt different?"

"I couldn't really put it into words. It felt the same, on the surface, but when I tried to use it against the Noumu it didn't feel as powerful? Or like it wasn't pushing back as strongly against my control? It didn't work against the Noumu, but it didn't break my arm either."

"That sounds like you almost had it. It didn't break your arm, but how did it feel besides that?" Toshinori couldn't be sure- it had to have happened before he got there- but it sounds like Izuku had almost gotten it in that moment. Even if he hadn't done it since, the potential was there.

"It still hurt, but not nearly as much. I still visualized One for All the same way though. The only difference was that it was the first time I tried to use it against another person." Izuku bit his lip, and Toshinori could guess what he was thinking. What had the League done to create something like the Noumu? Who had those people been before?

Toshinori thought briefly about telling Izuku about All for One, but quickly dismissed it, cringing at the thought. He would have to tell Izuku everything. He had promised him that when Izuku had promised to stop training on his own. But now wasn't the time, not with the festival merely days away. His young student had too much on his mind already.

"It seems like you've subconsciously found a way to regulate One for All." Toshinori said. "As things are now, I believe that you are probably able to access about 5% of your quirk's total power. That number will increase with time and strength training. What we can work on now, is what you do with what portion you can readily access."

A blink of an eye and Toshinori switched forms, his voice booming in the empty room. "From now until the start of the sports festival I want you to think of all the ways I've used One for All. Look up old videos, to help. Think of all the ways you've used it since you got it. Look up other enhancement quirks. They won't function the same way, every quirk is different, but think about what applications, what manifestations might be beneficial to you and your situations."

Izuku nodded, meeting Toshinori's eyes for just a moment before looking away again. His face flooded with color. Toshinori's eyes narrowed, looking at his student more closely, zeroing in on the shaking in his hands.

"Izuku, my boy." Toshinori had forgotten Izuku's reaction earlier, the words slipping out in habit, and like before Izuku seemed to flinch.

"Y-Yes, Toshinori-san?" Toshinori couldn't have imagined the waver in his voice that time.

"Is everything alright, Izuku?"

"I'm okay, Toshinori-san, just nervous about the festival." Toshinori wished he knew how to make Izuku comfortable enough to trust him, to confide in him. The last thing he wanted was for the boy to feel like he had to tackle everything by himself again, but there wasn't anything he could do if Izuku didn't tell him what was wrong.

"I don't want to put more pressure on you, Izuku. There will be other chances to gain attention in the future, but I know you and I know that you're going to give it your all. Take this chance, Midoriya Izuku," he said, reaching out the ruffle the boy's wild hair. "Tell the world, 'I am here.'"

The movement had been nature. Toshinori had done it without thinking. It was only when Izuku's face burned an even brighter shade of red that Toshinori realized what he had done.

"I'll-I'll make you proud, Toshinori-san."

"Of that, I have no doubt, Izuku."

Toshinori had spoken to Izuku several times since that lesson, but he hadn't asked about what progress Izuku had made. There were somethings, Gran Torino had said, that Izuku would have to figure out for himself. He could lead him in the right direction, give him the hint that he needed to put the pieces together, but Toshinori had been right when he told Izuku that One for All would feel different from how he remembered it. He had to hope that he had given Izuku the push he needed to figure things out.

Looking down at the students gathered on the grass, Toshinori's eyes were drawn to that tuft of green hair again. If anyone could make the connection, Izuku could. Toshinori knew it was only a matter of when.

* * *

While the students around them, especially those from the other courses, seemed shocked at Bakugou's declaration, Izuku had seen it coming. Kacchan wouldn't accept anything other than victory, and claiming he would be number one in front of everyone? Kacchan wasn't giving himself any other option. Izuku had seen the look on Kacchan's face when Todoroki approached him. He respected Todoroki's talent, but for him to challenge Izuku and not him, well, Kacchan wouldn't take that slight lightly. Of course he would respond with such an outlandish and straightforward claim. Izuku couldn't worry about Kacchan now though. The first event would be starting soon, and he needed to be ready.

The crowd in the stadium roared, and somewhere in that group sat Toshinori. Izuku didn't know where he was sitting exactly, but he knew he was watching. Just thinking about it had his nerves spiking, and Izuku hoped he didn't he didn't look as anxious as he felt. Whispers started up as Kacchan left the platform. Just as he intended Bakugou had painted a target on his back along with every other 1-A student.

Izuku wiped his hands on his pants, forcing himself to take deep breaths as he looked around. Not everyone's quirks manifested in physical attributes, but Izuku took notice of the ones whose had, categorizing them as he waited for the first event to be announced. He had done as Toshinori had asked, looking at all of the ways the hero had used his quirk, the characteristics of others with strength enhancing quirks. There had to have been a reason he asked Izuku to do that, but Izuku hadn't figured out what Toshinori had been trying to lead him to. It felt so obvious that it should have been immediately noticeable, but try as he might he couldn't make the connection.

Midnight started up the steps of the platform, a screen rising into the background. Izuku's pulse jumped again. This was it. It was starting, whether he was ready or not.

"Good morning, everyone!" Midnight said, grinning as she stepped to the center of the stage, a mic in hand. "Are you all ready to see this year's class of first years in action?"

The stadium shook with the sound of the crowd cheering.

"Our first event will be starting right away, and to decide it let's take a look at this screen behind me." She gestured to the screen that had clicked into place as she spoke. "Several events have been set up in preparation of today, and one of them will be randomly selected from that list now."

The options started to spin, too fast for Izuku to read, the words still blurred as they slowed to a halt.

"And it looks like our first event will be an obstacle course around the exterior of the stadium!"

An obstacle course? It seemed simple enough, but what kind of obstacles would Yuuei think appropriate for something like this? And wait… Izuku's eyes narrowed, focusing on the small characters lining the bottom of the screen.

"And what's this?" Midnight said dramatically, a put upon expression of shock on her face. "An added twist?"

The whispers that had died down when Midnight took the stage started up again.

"For the duration of the first event the usage of all quirks is banned!"

 **AN:** Finally canon events! Next week: The first event

Thanks to everyone for commenting! I love reading what you think!


	10. Chapter 9

Silence met Midnight's words, and then chaos erupted.

"No quirks?"

"But this is the Sports Festival?"

"An obstacle course without our quirks!"

"Now, now, everyone, quiet down," Midnight said, trying to regain control of the crowd. "Let me explain before you all start panicking." She waited until the volume dropped to a low hum before continuing. "Maybe saying that quirks were banned completely was a little bit of an exaggeration, but there will be a limit to quirk usage for the duration of this event. You were each given a bracelet to wear before the opening ceremony started, correct? That bracelet has been designed to detect the activation of a quirk by the wearer. You may each use your quirk only one time. If you go over that number you will automatically be eliminated from the competition. Any questions?"

"Why aren't we allowed to use our quirks?" A student Izuku didn't recognize asked, "I thought the point of the sports festival was to show our quirks off?"

"Not exactly!" Midnight corrected. "While not all of you are in the hero course, Yuuei is first and foremost an institution based on heroics whether that be in management, support, or some other area. For those looking to move into the hero course, the point of these competitions is not to show off your quirks, as you put it, but to show what you can do with them. I promise you there is a difference! No matter where you end up, there will always be circumstances where you will have to weigh the consequences of your actions and make a decision. That is the point of this exercise today."

When the students assembled in front of her still looked confused, Midnight sighed. "I'll give you an example from my job as a pro hero, but this applies to all of you. While pro heroes always try to work in situations where our quirks are at an advantage, there are always going to be times when that just isn't possible, when we get caught in circumstances that are just not ideal for our abilities."

Izuku thought back to the incident with the slime villain as she spoke. The main reason Izuku had run into the fire himself had been because none of the heroes present had quirks that were compatible with the situation. Instead of finding a solution with what they had, every single one of them had waited to the side while Kacchan struggled to breathe, trying to fight the villain off on his own. Shackled by the limitations of their quirks, they had done nothing to help, and Kacchan had almost died.

Maybe he could actually do this. Izuku hadn't spent most of his life relying on a quirk like the other students at Yuuei, and even though he had a quirk now it wasn't one he had been able to use frequently. In all of their previous practicals Izuku had been forced to find other solutions to his problems while his classmates relied on their quirks. If their quirk use really was limited during this event, then Izuku might have an advantage.

"And in addition to the exterior circumstances," Midnight continued on, "quirks are physical abilities when you get down to it. There is a limitation to how much you can do with them. Being able to make the best of your weaknesses is a valuable skill for all of you to learn, no matter which course you're a member of."

As they lined up for the start of the event nervous whispers filled the stadium again, but Izuku couldn't help but feel relieved. Before Midnight's announcement he hadn't been sure how he would have been able to move on to the next round, despite what he had told Todoroki. He still couldn't use One for All without breaking his bones, and that didn't leave him many options if it came to a one on one fight, but with everyone limited to only being able to use their quirk once he wasn't at as much of a disadvantage as before.

He had to be one of the most physically fit after that training with Toshinori before the entrance exam. If he could just get ahead in the beginning and stay ahead…

The starting line began at the entrance to a tunnel, the low hanging ceiling and narrow walkway keeping them from seeing anything but sunlight from the other end. There would be no way to know what their first challenge was until they met it.

"Keep in mind,"Midnight said, raising the starting gun. "Not everyone who finishes will qualify for the next even. Don't let yourself fall too far behind!"

He could do this. He had to do this.

The moment the starting shot sounded they were off, fighting their way through the cramped space. Apparently Izuku had been wrong. They had been able to see the first challenge. With everyone trying to enter the tunnel at once, hardly anyone could move, crammed up against one another as they were. Another thing that might work in Izuku's favor this event- he was used for forcing his way through crowds, knowing how to move with the flow of people to get where he needed to be. Years of charging through the large groups who gathered to watch pro heroes fight had taught him that, and he ducked down quickly out of the way of someone's elbow.

Izuku had luckily started towards the front of the group, and it didn't take him long to break free, thankful that he spent so much of his time outside of school running. The second he cleared the crowd a loud cracking sound exploded behind him, and he turned to see most of the students still in the tunnel stuck in a thick layer of ice spread out along the ground. He didn't pause to get a good look, but as Todoroki passed him it seemed like at least half of their year had been knocking out of the running in that instant.

He had known that Todoroki was talented, but it must have taken a lot of control to keep the ice at that height and consistency for such a large distance. Not to mention that it seemed that Todoroki had decided he wouldn't need his quirk for the rest of the event. Izuku couldn't blame him for that though. In just a few seconds he had taken out half of their competition and pulled ahead to the lead.

Taking first wouldn't be as simple as being used to not having a quirk it seemed.

Midnight had called the event an obstacle course, but like with the rule about quirks she hadn't been completely honest. Or maybe that hadn't been paying as much attention to her words as they should have considering she said the course ran around the stadium. The stadium that was large enough to fit hundreds of thousands of people.

Most of the students who made it out of the tunnel had continued running as if they had forgotten the actual distance of the track, quickly passing those who had taken the early lead. If they weren't careful they would burn out before they reached the finish line. The first real obstacle wasn't even in sight could see Todoroki and Kacchan just ahead of him, and he made sure they stayed in his line of sight at all times. It didn't matter who lead the majority of the race, as long as he pulled ahead at the end. Let them face the obstacles first. He could figure out his plan of action from there.

Cementoss must have helped design the layout of the course because despite it running the length of the stadium, there were twists and turns that kept them from seeing too far ahead of them. Izuku saw why when they rounded another corner to find the giant zero point robots from the entrance exam towering over them.

Izuku slid to a stop, waiting to see who would make their move first. While had destroyed one of them during the exam he couldn't afford to break his arm now, not when it was only the first event.

Iida who had been stuck at his normal not enhanced speed, activated his quirk, rushing straight through the mass of robots before they could even touch him.

A girl with bright pink hair pulled up beside Izuku, looking up at the robots, shielding her eyes with a hand. "You're in the hero course, right?" She asked, letting out a long whistle when he nodded. "And you had to fight those things in the entrance exam?"

"Really, we were suppose to avoid it, but yeah there was one in the exam."

"Wish I could see the specs on those. I'll have to get my hands on them after this." She laughed. "I'm just glad they didn't take our tech when they banned quirks." Izuku watched, slightly awed when she pressed a button on the palm of her glove and the shoes she wore lit up, lifting her a few feet off the ground. "Well, I'll see you later!" And then she was gone. Izuku vowed to look into the support course when the sports festival finished.

Kacchan didn't hesitate to act either, setting off one of the largest explosions Izuku had ever seen from him. Smoke filled the air, a wave of heat rolling over those standing closest. Through the haze, Izuku could just make out the robot Kacchan had targeted. The top half was gone and what remained was left smoldering. The hunk of metal swayed. Knocked off balance and with no power to keep it upright it fell, bringing down the robot behind it as well.

Other students ran, using the path Kacchan had made while it lasted. Izuku ran too, but paused when he saw a piece of metal lying on the ground near him. It was almost the same size and him, and Izuku didn't know what made him take it, but something told him he would need it later. He couldn't rely on other people clearing a path for him through the other obstacles like Kacchan had done for this one.

Somewhere in the audience Toshinori sat watching, and Izuku needed to prove that he was ready for this. It was time to show the world that he was there, and he couldn't do that if he only relied on other people to pave the way for him.

Carrying a giant piece of metal with him definitely made running more difficult, but Izuku refused to drop it, and as he ran he noticed fewer and fewer students around him. Had that many people been caught in Todoroki's ice and he hadn't noticed or had more people been stopped by the robots because of the limit put on their quirks? Izuku wouldn't have been surprised, and it drove home the point Midnight had been trying to make. Sure, they were just first years, but Class A had already come face to face with villains. Their age didn't prevent them from being in dangerous situations even if they weren't necessarily in the hero course. The robots from the exam might have been big, but they at least had a few safety protocols installed. The chance of students actually getting hurt by one was pretty low. But villains? There was nothing stopping them from taking advantage of a perceived weakness.

The next obstacle appeared shortly after the first, and Izuku had to stop and stare for a moment, and he wasn't the only one. A pit had been dug a few hundred meters across and at least twenty feet down. Rising from the pit were stone pillars, all set to different heights and each one spinning at a slightly different speed. Several ropes ran from where they stood at the edge to a small stable platform, and from there it was clear what they were supposed to do. Once they used the rope to get close to the pillars they would have to jump from one platform to the next, the different heights and speeds making it difficult to keep their balance.

Izuku saw the pink haired girl from before shoot some kind of grappling hook from her belt, but he didn't watch to see if she made it, moving instead to one of the ropes. Todoroki and Kacchan had already started on the pillars, and Izuku would need to hurry if he wanted to catch up.

Maneuvering the rope with the piece of metal was difficult, but Izuku managed, making it to the starting platform just as Todoroki and Bakugou were reaching the middle of the pit. The seemed to be arguing, Izuku could just barely hear their voices although he couldn't make out what they were saying, but since they had both already used their quirks he didn't think it could escalate too much.

Once Izuku made it to the platform he paused again, trying to decide quickly what to do. There were two platforms close enough for him to reach, a shorter one spinning that spun fast and one that was taller but spun slower. The metal would throw his balance off, but he still wanted to hang onto it. Better go for the slower one then until he got the hang of it. Bracing himself and making sure the piece was secured, Izuku took a running start and launched himself forward.

His foot hit the edge of the pillar and he wobbled. The jump had been higher than he realized and for a moment it seemed like he wasn't going to make it, but he threw himself to the ground, thankful that the pillar was large enough to support him. One step down, only twenty more to go.

The second pillar was easier, just a little faster and a few feet down. Izuku made it fine and moved on to the next. And the next. Slowly but surely he made his way across, forcing himself to focus on what he was doing and not how far ahead Todoroki and Kacchan and gotten. He couldn't win if he fell.

When he finally cleared the last pillar and landed firmly on the other side, Izuku couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he started running again. They had to be almost all the way around the stadium by that point. There was probably only one obstacle left. Maybe two. He pushed himself harder, closing the distance between himself and Todoroki and Kacchan. If he was right and there was only one obstacle left he would have to make his move soon.

He was right. He could see the next obstacle just ahead, a stretch of fenced in dirt, small mounds visible even from a distance. A minefield, the sign next to it said, the discharge strong enough to daze them but not seriously injure. Izuku ran faster, the metal digging into his skin. Todoroki and Kacchan would have to slow down once they reached the field. Since they had both already used their quirks they wouldn't be able to rush through like they usually did. This was his chance to close the distance between them a little more.

Reaching the edge of the fencing he stopped. A few others had started making their way across, but it was slow going. With the mounds visible like that it was easy to see where the mines had been buried, but the further you got across the closer the mines became. Izuku had to find some way across, some way that would make sure to give him a lead, but how? He had carried that stupid piece of metal all that way and now…

It was a dumb idea, he knew. If it didn't work he would be the laughingstock of the whole event and probably wouldn't make it through to the next round, but if it did? Guaranteed to get him noticed in a big way.

Izuku ignored the looks of the people who passed, carefully digging the mines out until he had a small pile. His hands ached from the sharp edges of the metal, but he couldn't worry about that now. Todoroki and Kacchan had almost made it across the field when he finally finished. If he was going to win, he would have to go now. He had one chance to make this work. One chance at catching the right angle.

He took a deep breath, and jump.

The mines exploded, and Izuku shot forward across the field, high above the other students. All he had to do was watch as he hurtled past Todoroki and Kacchan and started to descend. And… He hadn't planned how to land.

Why hadn't he thought about landing when he decided this was a good idea?

The ground grew steadily closer and closer, and as much as jumping was going to hurt, Izuku didn't want to chance what would happen if he landed wrong while still on a jagged sharp piece of metal. He rolled as he hit the ground, his bare skin scraping painfully in the rough dirt, but in a second he was on his feet again, tripping as he struggled to catch his balance. A quick glance behind him showed Todoroki and Kacchan, still leading the other students by a large margin, had no chance of catching up to him. If they had been able to use their quirks, Izuku knew it would have been a different story, but they were stuck at the same slow pace as everyone else.

When Izuku crossed the finish line it wasn't even close.

 **AN:**. This chapter was harder to write than I thought, and I'm not 100% satisfied with it, but here it is. Not much changed from canon for this event, but the next two will definitely be a huge shift from canon. I'll try to have it out sooner since not much really happened this chapter.

Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 10

"And in first place, from class A," Present Mic's voice rang through the stadium. "Midoriya Izuku!"

Izuku couldn't believe it. He had known when he realized that his plan had worked and that he wasn't going to be the laughingstock of the event that he would finish in first, but hearing it announced like that to a stadium of screaming pro heroes and fans was something else entirely.

"Did you see what he did? He didn't even have to use his quirk!"

"Where did he even come from? I didn't see him anywhere near the lead before that."

"He carried that piece from the robot the whole way!"

Present Mic continued to announce names as other students crossed the finish line, and Izuku, drinking heavily from the bottle that had been shoved in his hands by one of the festival volunteers, tried to categorize them as he heard them. All of the students from 1-A (with the exception of Mineta who had been disqualified) had passed to carry on to the next event as well as most of the students Izuku recognized from class B.

Only two stood out as not being from the hero course at all. The pink haired girl from the support course he had talked to briefly and a boy with unruly purple hair and dark shadows under his eyes that Izuku thought he had seen in the Gen Ed section during the opening ceremonies.

When everyone who was still eligible had finally crossed the finish line, Midnight took the stage again.

"Originally," she said, addressing the audience, "we had planned on allowing the first forty students who finished to qualify for the second event, but it seems that the difficulty of this event was too much for our first years." She turned back to the students then, a sharp look in her eyes. "Only thirty-two students finished the event under the conditions we set. I hope those of you who did, especially those whose use of your quirk is an important aspect of your future careers, consider where you went wrong today and how you can move forward from this. The sports festival, while meant to be fun, is also a valuable learning experience. Do not let it go to waste."

The answering response was subdued, and Midnight pressed on. "Because of this change in numbers, we've had to tweak the possible second events, but I'm sure you will find them just as challenging as before, if not more so."

Izuku had hoped that they would get a short break before the next event so that he could check in with how Iida and Uraraka had fared, but it seemed that they were moving straight into the next challenge. The screen had appeared behind the platform once more, scrolling quickly through the possible events before slowing to a stop.

Midnight's grin at the choice made him slightly concerned.

"And it seems that our next event will be a team event. Dodgeball!"

"Dodgeball?" The word quickly spread through the group of competing students, and Izuku narrowed his eyes at the screen. Unlike with the obstacle course, the sign indicating this event did not have any additional writing other than the event's title and a cartoon picture of All Might throwing a rubber ball, but it couldn't be that simple.

The first event had been about analyzing their situations, working under difficult conditions, but the Yuuei Sports Festival had always been, first and foremost, an exhibition of the quirks of the best up and coming heros. In terms of popularity, the events had replaced the Olympics nationally as the most anticipated event even though they happened every year. The lesson they were meant to learn from the first event was important, no question about that, but it wasn't the flashy quirk heavy event that people had come to expect.

What kind of twist would this simple sounding dodgeball tournament have then?

"The names of all of the students who moved on have been added to a randomizer to determine your teams. The student who placed highest on each team will be team captain and in charge of coming up with your strategy. And as for your teams-" Midnight gestured to the screen behind her again, and the graphic was replaced with a list of all the students who had passed. Izuku's eyes were drawn to where it said Team A Captain: Midoriya Izuku, under which there was a short list of names- Hatsume Mei, Tokoyami Fumikage, Uraraka Ochako, Aoyama Yuga, Shiozaki Ibara, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu.

Quickly searching for Uraraka in the crowd he found that she was already looking at him, shooting him a thumbs up and a grin. How he had lucked out to end up on the same team as one of his best friends, he didn't know, but he was grateful either way.

"No way!" Someone from class B protested near Izuku protested, staring at the lists open mouthed in shock. "Bakugou Katsuki and Endeavor's kid on the same team! How is that fair?"

"The lists might have been randomized," the person beside him added, "but surely that's skewing things a little too far in that team's favor."

Izuku had been so pleased with his own team assignments that he hadn't bothered to check the lists for everyone else, but there it was beside his own. Team B Captain: Todoroki Shouto-Bakugou Katsuki, Hanta Sero, Ashido Mina, Iida Tenya, Kaminari Denki, Kirishima Eijirou, Shinsou Hitoshi.

So Iida had ended up on Kacchan's team too.

"The rules of this game are the same as regular dodgeball. You catch the ball, the person who threw it is out. You get hit with the ball or step out of bounds, and you're out. Simple enough to follow." Midnight explained. "You will each play one game, winning team moves on to the third and final event, so you better figure out how to work with your team and fast. Otherwise this event will be over a lot faster than you think."

Win or get eliminated. He didn't know exactly how Shiozaki or Testsutetsu's quirks worked, but looking at the students from his own class his team seemed well balanced. Depending on which team they were matched with and what the inevitable surprise was, he didn't doubt that his team could win.

"But wait!" Midnight said, pointing at the students who had already started to move towards their teammates. "We couldn't let it be that easy, could we?"

And there it was, Izuku thought.

Midnight held up a blue rubber looking ball with the Yuuei logo facing them. "Our support course alumni have been working very closely with the pro hero Replicate to produce this just in time for the sports festival!"

Replicate? Izuku had heard of him, of course. He knew almost every pro hero who had a contract with an agency. Replicate wasn't one of the most popular pro heroes by a long shot, but if what Izuku remembered about his quirk was correct…

"For those of you not as familiar with Replicate's work, let me explain a few things about his quirk. I'm sure you're all aware of quirks that allow the user to copy certain attributes of other people's quirks? Well, Replicate is able to give this ability to inanimate objects. Any object he touches is able to borrow the characteristics of the next person who holds its quirk. Cementoss, would you mind demonstrating?"

The pro hero, who had been standing at the bottom of the platform, made his way up the stairs, taking the ball carefully from Midnight's hand. The moment the ball was completely in his grasp the surface seemed to waver before turning to concrete. He passed the ball back to Midnight where it returned to normal.

"The effects last until it comes into contact with someone else with a quirk. Although it is just a copy of the general characteristics of your quirks and won't be nearly as powerful as the real thing, I think you'll still find this game to be a bit of a challenge, don't you think?"

Izuku's mind immediately ran through the possibilities. A ball with Iida's speed, or Uraraka's lack of gravity constraints. That exploded, or was covered in ice, or could electrocute anyone who touches it. Yes, this was definitely the flashier sort of event Izuku had expected from the sports festival.

But how would it- Izuku froze.

One for All wasn't his quirk, not really. Would Replicate's quirk notice the difference? Would the ball draw from his own quirklessness or was One for All his enough to count? And if it did, how much strength would it be able to copy? Izuku could only access 5% of One for All's power at most, but that was because his body couldn't handle the quirk's full potential. Even if Midnight had said it wouldn't be nearly as powerful as their real quirks, did that mean less than All Might at full strength powerful or less than what Izuku himself could manage?

"Go ahead and meet with your teams! You have fifteen minutes to talk strategy before your match-ups are decided!"

What was Izuku supposed to do?

* * *

Toshinori did not like this event at all, and he had said as much when the potential events had been announced.

Understanding how quirks functioned and what their possible limitations might be became easier when you looked at quirks in terms of type rather than their individual aspects. Enhancement quirks, quirks that changed physical appearance or attributes, manipulation or creation quirks. Every quirk fell into a specific category, and while there might be a few differences between them, most quirks in one category acted in the same general way.

One for All, though, didn't quite fall into any category because of the nature of it. No other quirk could be passed along from one person to the next. No other quirk took the user's strength and multiplied it, bringing that strength with it when it moved on. Learning from its wielders. Growing. Integrating whatever it could so that the next holder would be even stronger than the last.

And that made how this event would go impossible to predict, because how would a quirk like Replicate's react to a quirk like One for All? Toshinori had no idea and that made him concerned.

No one in the know about All Might's real quirk had been on the committee that decided on the events. The severity of his injury might have been common knowledge to the teaching staff at Yuuei, but the specifics about his quirk were still only known to Recovery Girl, Tsukauchi, Nedzu, and of course, Izuku.

By the time anyone realized the potential consequences of such an event it was too late. While a bit unconventional in regards to how their quirks would be used, there was no real reason for Nedzu to object to the event. The support team had already begun the preparations, and it might have done more harm than good to object to the event at that point. There were other events in the pool. There was only a 10% chance that that event would even be chosen.

Toshinori wished he had made a bigger fuss over it, because he never should have counted for luck being on his side for once. He had been through enough to know better by now. Gran Torino was not going to let him forget this next time they saw each other.

Despite how worried he was for the next event though, Toshinori couldn't help but be proud of Izuku's actions during the first event. He remembered what it felt like to be quirkless, the decades since not doing anything to dull the feelings of helplessness he had had when thinking about his prospects as a hero without a quirk. Unlike Izuku, he had all but given up before meeting Nana and having his life turned upside down. One for All might have come more naturally to him than it did for Izuku, but would he have been able to accomplish the same things Izuku had if their situations had been reversed?

He couldn't be sure, but he felt like the answer would have been no.

And that was another thing he needed to consider when planning Izuku's training after the sports festival ended. Although Toshinori didn't have a quirk to add to One for All's overall power, its strength had still grown during his time as the holder. How much had he increased the quirk himself, and was that the reason that Izuku had such a harder time controlling it than Toshinori had? He would have to speak to Gran Torino about it, because even though the man had never had One for All himself he had learned more about it from Nana than Toshinori ever had. In retrospect, that might not have been saying much.

For now though, all he could do was hope that Izuku would be able to handle whatever this event threw at him.

* * *

Izuku's team gathered around him. Fifteen minutes wasn't a lot of time to plan, especially when he didn't already know all of the members of his team, but they would have to make due with what they were given. At least there were only three people he was unfamiliar with.

"Right," Izuku said, wringing his hands as he spoke. His teammates looked at him expectedly. "I think first we should introduce ourselves and say how we think our quirks will affect the game. My quirk is basically strength enhancement? So I'm not really sure how that will work with Replicate's quirk." Izuku hadn't been sure how exactly to describe One for All, but maybe this way if it didn't do anything special he would be able to wave it off. Like Aizawa's quirk it probably couldn't copy anything that required a physical change.

Uraraka went next, smiling at Izuku as she said. "I'm Uraraka Ochako, and I can eliminate the effects of gravity on objects that I touch. This will probably mean I can throw it with a lot more force than a normal ball, although I'll have to be careful that I don't end up making us lose it entirely." She paused. "That's happened before."

"Yaoyorozu Momo. And my quirk is creation. I'm not sure, but I might be able to change the makeup of the ball? As long as it's to a material I know the composition of."

Slowly they made their way through all of their quirks. Shiozaki believed the ball would change to match the vines that made up her hair. For Tetsutetsu the ball would probably turn to steel like it had turned to concrete for Cementoss. Both Tokoyami and Aoyama were unsure of how their quirks would be copied considering Dark Shadow was sentient and Aoyama's lasers required him to use his belt to focus. Hastume said her quirk wouldn't be copied at all consider it only affected her eyesight, but as she was from the support course any tech she had on her could still be used as long as she had made it herself.

"And I have just the thing for an event like this!" She guaranteed, although she wouldn't explain exactly what it was. "I need your reactions to be real for the investors, now don't I?"

"What about the other students from Class B?" Izuku asked. "What can you tell us about their quirks?" When Shiozaki had finished explaining, Izuku gave them a quick run through of Class A as well.

"So the only person whose quirk we don't know is the Gen Ed student," Uraraka said.

"Not a problem!" Tetsutetsu responded. "He's only in the Gen Ed course. If his quirk was good for fighting he would be in the hero course."

"Not necessarily. It could be like Aizawa's." Izuku pointed out. "The exam doesn't really gauge those types of quirks well. We can't relax just because he's not in the hero course."

"And if we end up against his team," Yaoyorozu said. "We're going to need to be extra careful anyways. Both Bakugou and Todoroki have extremely strong quirks. They will both be looking to catch people off guard, so you can't lose focus."

"Well, hopefully we won't get matched with them. We don't stand a chance if we do."

"Aoyama-"

"Let's just make a plan. We don't have much time left, and we only have one shot at this." Izuku interrupted. "We're all going to be in the same boat in that we don't know exactly how our quirks will be copied, and won't know who our opponent is going to be until right before. Since we're Team A we're probably going to go first, so we won't be able to watch anyone else before our match. Until we know how this ball works, don't take any unnecessary risks. I'd rather we miss the ball completely than lose a person because they tried to catch it and failed. We can regroup once we know more. Does that sound good to everyone?"

There were nods around the group as Midnight took the stage again. "You're planning time is up! Our first match will be between Team Midoriya and Team Jirou! If those teams will please make their way to the center of the arena our other two teams can take a seat in the stands."

Well Izuku had been right about going first, and he would have been lying if he said he wasn't a little relieved that they wouldn't be facing Todoroki and Kacchan in this event. Every year the last event was a one on one tournament. If Izuku was going to make his mark and meet Todoroki and Kacchan head on he wanted it to be then.

"Because some of your quirks will affect a wide area and because of the conditions of Replicate's quirk, we will only be using one ball for this event even though all other rules of dodgeball will remain the same. But don't think that will make this any easier!"

A large rectangular space had been outlined in the middle of the arena, a chalked line across the center dividing the space into two halves. Both teams spread out across their respective spaces.

"As the winner of the first round," Present Mic said over the loudspeaker, "Midoriya Izuku will start the game."

Midnight handed the ball to him and cleared out of the way. Turning it over in his hands, the ball didn't feel any different from every other rubber ball, but he knew he wouldn't be able to see the effects of Replicate's quirk until he threw it.

"Last team standing wins and moves on the the final event! Midoriya-kun!" Midnight called. "Whenever you're ready!"

Izuku took a deep breath. Jirou had obviously told her team about his quirk, because none of them looked like they were preparing to try and catch it. It would have been very anticlimactic if he threw it and nothing happened, but he almost would have preferred that.

The instant the ball left his hand Izuku knew that he had made a very, very bad mistake.

He had tried to throw it towards the middle of the group to give people plenty of room to get out of the way if they needed to, but it didn't seem to be enough. The ball rocketed across the cement court, and any students who hadn't thrown themselves out of the way were barrelled over by the shock wave that followed.

Everything slowed as Cementoss lunged, throwing up a concrete wall between the stadium seats and the incoming ball. It finished sliding into place just as the ball made contact, and there seemed to be a moment of stillness at the impact before the stadium roared to life again, returning to normal in a snap. The wall exploded, showering the stands in chipped concrete and bits of rubber.

When the dust settled silence reigned, all eyes trained on Izuku who stared at the destruction he had caused open mouthed.

"Deku-kun," Uraraka said slowly, her eyes never leaving the shattered concrete. "What the hell?"

 **AN:** So...Up next week! The second event, and possibly that conversation everyone has been asking about!

Thanks to everyone who commented!


	12. Chapter 11

The sports festival had always had the potential for injuries. Pitting a group of over a hundred students with different quirks against each other in a competition designed to test their use of those quirks was bound to have accidents occasionally. It was unavoidable, and those who attended as spectators were mostly pro heros who understood the risks and knew how to respond appropriately.

That being said, Izuku had not gone into the festival expecting to almost murder the audience members because, looking at the cracked remains of the wall Cementoss had barely managed to pull up in time, that was exactly what would have happened. How many people would have gotten hurt if the blast had gone straight into the stands? The ball itself had been completely destroyed in the impact. What would he have done if he had hit someone? He had _broken the ball_ and bits of flying concrete had surely gone into the crowd. How many people had been hurt because of him?

No one else seemed able to understand what they had just witnessed either.

"And our first throw from team captain Midoriya Izuku...seems to have destroyed the ball. Did we have a back up for a situation like this?" Present Mic announced to the stunned crowd.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to be the full effects of their quirks?"

"You mean that kid is even _more_ powerful?"

"How have I never heard of him?"

"He really doesn't look like much, but-"

"Even All Might-"

"Four members of Team Jirou have been eliminated for being out of bounds," Midnight called, although the audience payed her no mind. "Please be patience as we wait for a replacement ball."

Izuku forced his eyes away from the stands to the team standing opposite of him. All of their members were on the ground, either from dodging out of the way or getting bowled over the the shock wave that followed, and four of their eight team members were indeed outside the lines of one throw Izuku had knocked half of their competition out of the game without even trying, and he stared at them still unable to process what he had done.

Was this what it was going to be like when he could finally use all one hundred percent of One for All's strength without injuring himself? And with a start he realized that no, it wouldn't. Replicate's quirk couldn't create a perfect copy of the effects. When Izuku had full access to his quirk just how powerful would he actually be? He had seen the amazing things Toshinori had accomplished with his quirk. All Might was the number one hero for a reason, and on some level Izuku had known that those abilities would be his as well as soon as he could figure out how it use them.

It was one thing to know that though, and another to see those same results from his own hand.

"Deku-kun," Uraraka repeated, pulling on his sleeve to gain his attention. He could feel the eyes of his other teammates now, and oh god, how was he supposed to explain this?

"I didn't expect that," Izuku answered quickly. "I don't know what just happened."

"That much we gathered from your expression," Tokoyami said, his voice as calm as always despite the slightly startled look in his eyes. "Although this does explain something else I had been wondering about."

"It does?" Oh no, oh no. Tokoyami couldn't have figured it out, could he? And then Izuku had to stop, because what secret was he more concerned about people figuring out? Tsuyu had already made comparisons between All Might and Izuku's quirks, but surely no one would ever guess that the hero had given his power to a quirkless middle schooler, right? But there was no way they could miss the similarities between them either.

Had Izuku just revealed the truth in his mother's letter to everyone watching with enough sense to recognize that strength? He hadn't even had the chance to figure out what that secret really meant to him, to his future, to their relationship, let alone decide if he ever wanted to tell Toshinori about it. Had that chance-that choice-just been taken from him because of a stupid game of dodgeball?

Izuku took a shaking breath, trying to calm the frantic panic that had started to build in his throat.

"I had been wondering the same thing," Yaoyorozu said, and Izuku felt like he must have spaced out for a moment and missed part of the conversation because _wondered about what._

"Yeah, no wonder your quirk always ends up hurting you, Deku-kun! It's a surprise broken bones are the worst injuries you've gotten. Was it worse when you were younger?" Uraraka frowned, worried as she looked him over as if expecting him to suddenly reveal a broken bone or five from that throw. And, wait what-

"Agreed," Tokoyami said. "I had often wondered why it seemed as though you had no control over your quirk, but now I know that it's just the opposite. What incredible control you must have to limit the damage as you do."

"I hadn't really thought about it that way," Izuku responded, still in a daze. "And yeah, I don't have enough physical strength to support all of that quite yet. I'm working on it."

"That much is obvious," Aoyama said, not looking at him.

Uraraka snorted. "But seriously. This explains so much."

Izuku felt like he had just missed something but continued on, rubbing at the back his neck as he gestured for the rest of his team to gather around him. "Right. Well, I don't know how long it will take them to get another ball ready, but we should probably figure out our next move while we have the chance."

"We already have half of their team out," Yaoyorozu said. "But that doesn't necessarily make this any easier. They have more room to maneuver now."

"And I don't think I should be throwing it anymore," Izuku added. "I can't limit the amount of my quirk that gets copied, and if I throw it again we'll just want to go through this all over again."

"We'll probably still get to throw first again since you placed higher, Midoriya-kun. You should pick someone to throw in your place."

"Uraraka, do you mind doing it?" Izuku asked, turning to his friend.

"No problem, Deku-kun! You can count on me!"

"Besides that, I think the rest of our plan should stay the same. They might act a little more recklessly since there are only four of them left, so we should still be careful of trying to catch the ball. We have the lead right now, but they could change quickly if we don't pay attention."

"And our replacement has arrived!" Midnight's voice said through the loudspeaker. "Will our teams take their places once again!" And then covering the mic with her hand she called, "Midoriya-kun?" He knew what she was asking.

"Understood, Midnight-san." He couldn't risk that kind of response again. Not when it meant that people might be hurt. Half of their opponent's team had been eliminated already. He would just have to trust that his team could handle things without his help. If need be, he could always block a shot since he couldn't throw anyway.

They spread out across their side of the field once again, this time with Uraraka in the center. Izuku looked over at the remaining members of Team Jirou as Midnight passed Uraraka the ball. Jirou, Shoji, and Koda had all managed to stay in bounds as well as a guy with short blond hair and a sour expression that Izuku recognized from 1-B. Koda's quirk probably wouldn't affect the ball in any way, and Shoji's shouldn't either. Jirou's quirk would still be dangerous though, and Izuku was fairly certain the the blond's quirk had something to do with copying, although he didn't know the specifics.

The game wasn't over yet.

"Start!"

Izuku had been right about Uraraka. The ball rocketed across the open field when she threw it just like it had during their first class with Aizawa, slamming into the blond haired kid's chest, and just like that Team Jirou was down to three as the ball fell to the ground.

"Monoma! Out!" Midnight said as the student in question glared at them and moved to stand with his other eliminated teammates.

"And what a turn of events this has been!" Present Mic called. "Midoriya is one of your students, Aizawa. Did you know that he was capable of something like that?"

"He has injured himself in the past as a result of his quirk," Aizawa answered. "It would make sense that that kind of pressure would be the cause of it."

"So you're saying you didn't know either?" Present Mic laughed, as Jirou prepared to throw with a yell.

The ball, acting like an amplifier, screeched as it left her hand, members of both teams flinching at the sound. Yaoyorozu pulled Shiozaki out of the way as the ball struck the ground and continued wailing.

"It won't stop until someone else touches it!" Izuku tried to yell over the noise. "Tokoyami, can you grab it?"

Tokoyami moved quickly, the sound cutting off the moment the ball touched his hand, looking between it and Team Jirou. "I wonder..." The ball's surface wavered for a moment before the color shifted and the face of Dark Shadow was visible. The ball flew across the space between the two teams without Tokoyami having to throw it, Dark Shadow controlling its direction. It bounced around the two remaining team members, and for a moment Izuku thought that they might win the game then.

"Koda!"

Their taller classmate jumped, grabbing at the ball. Dark Shadow jerked out of the way, right into Jirou's waiting hands.

"Tokoyami! Out!"

Koda passed the ball back to Jirou, who threw it screaming at them once again.

Izuku stood in the middle of the group wishing that there was something he could do to help when Koda finally threw the ball. It didn't change because of the nature of his quirk, making it easy for Uraraka to snatch it out of the air.

"Koda! Out!"

Only Jirou remained on her team against six of Team Midoriya. Uraraka threw, the ball shooting towards Jirou, who stepped neatly out of the way. But Uraraka had spent years learning just how to make the objects she nullified move the way she wanted them to. The ball curved.

"Jirou, Out!"

"And the winner is Team Midoriya!"

* * *

Toshinori debated going to find his young student while Cementoss worked to clean up the mess Izuku had caused before the next game, but decided against it. They would need to have a long conversation about what had happened eventually, but now wasn't the time.

Leaning back in his seat, Toshinori tuned out the sound of the pro heroes around him. He had known that Izuku would be stronger than him, of course. That was how One for All worked. He thought he had made that clear to Izuku as well, but by the stunned look on his face maybe he hadn't. How much had he really told Izuku about the power that had been passed down to him?

For all that Toshinori had talked about improving as a teacher and being there for Izuku when he needed him, he still hadn't told him everything he needed to know. Hadn't yet warned him about the danger that always lurked in the shadows, stalking the wielders of that special quirk through the decades. Telling himself that he was doing it to protect him wouldn't keep the danger away. Hadn't kept the danger away. This performance, this demonstration of his true potential, would only draw them nearer.

Toshinori hadn't been able to protect Midoriya Inko, and he would forever feel the guilt of not taking the time to meet her, to explain the risks he was getting her son involved in.

Izuku didn't seem to blame Toshinori for what happened to his mother, but Toshinori knew the truth. He was one who had put Izuku in the spotlight unprepared, had forced Izuku to keep secrets and lie to the only family he had. So maybe Shigaraki wasn't All for One, but Toshinori still knew the consequences of crossing villains like that, and he had done nothing to protect the Midoriya's from the inevitable fallout. The least he could do was make sure that Izuku didn't meet the same fate. No matter how painful the coming conversation would be for him they would have to talk when the sports festival ended.

His phone rang, startling him, and Toshinori fumbled for it as Tsukauchi's name flashed across the screen.

"Toshinori," his friend said the moment Toshinori picked up. "I know you're at the festival, but I thought you rather hear it sooner rather than later."

"Is everything okay?" Toshinori asked.

"The man who was training Midoriya-kun? We found him."

* * *

If Izuku's team was remembered for the destruction his first throw caused, then Team Todoroki would be remembered for their complete lack of ability to work together despite the fact that they won.

When the teams spread out across the space they had been given, Bakugou and Todoroki in the front of their group, Izuku had wondered how the two had gotten along. Bakugou didn't like to take orders, and he didn't like to have to rely on other people. With Todoroki in charge he would have to do both if they were going to work as a team. And as for Todoroki...Izuku had only lived with him for a week, but a week was long enough to know that Todoroki didn't know how to communicate. At all. Putting the two of them on the same team after they had just fought each other in the first event was a recipe for disaster.

Todoroki, having placed second, had the starting throw, and it was clear even from the stands that Bakugou didn't like that choice at all, smoke drifting from his hands. He barked something at Todoroki that Izuku couldn't hear, his face twisting when the other boy ignored him.

And then, from the moment the ball left Todoroki's hand it was chaos.

The ball, fire and ice split evenly down the middle, hurtled across the open space, colliding with the ground next to a class B student. He shrieked as the fire licked at his clothes, jumping back and immediately out of bounds.

"Oh, come on!" Bakugou yelled, loud enough this time for Izuku to hear him.

Ojirou scooped up the ball and the game continued, Bakugou stepping smoothly out of the way of a pass, the ball smacking into the face of the unsuspecting teammate behind him.

Bakugou and Todoroki moved as if they were playing eight against one, intercepting every throw before their teammates had a chance to respond, their teammates getting picked off as they moved without considering their positions. Izuku almost didn't want to watch.

"As our second game continues Todoroki and Bakugou continue to dominate their competition, although they seem a little more preoccupied with each other," Present Mic announced. "A throw from Bakugou-Quirk:Explosion- rocks a few members from 1-B as they stand too near to their territory's boundary! Team Midoriya's win was quick, but this might be just as decisive."

"And yet they have utterly failed to understand the point of this exercise," Aizawa's voice droned in response. "If the goal was to have them fight an uneven battle, they wouldn't have been put on a team."

"Very true, very true. Unfortunately, this event is only judged based on whether a team succeeds at eliminating all of the opposing team's members! No points are given or taken away for lack of teamwork. Team Todoroki's method, while not ideal, is allowed."

The teams were tied 2-2 now, Iida having been knocked out of bounds by his own teammate, and Izuku wished that Ojirou and Tsuyu would be able to take advantage of the fact that Bakugou and Todoroki refused to cooperate with each other, but he knew they wouldn't last much longer. Neither of their quirks affected the ball, and with both Todoroki and Bakugou aiming for the ground the field around them was uneven and covered in broken rubble. One more explosion had them on the ground, the ball bouncing back towards Todoroki's feet.

It was only a matter of minutes before the match was decided, and Izuku couldn't help be disappointed for his friends. Iida stood on the sidelines saying something, his expressive hand gestures doing most of the talking for him. He was right to be mad, Izuku thought, but neither of his teammates were paying him any attention.

"And there we have it! The two teams that will be moving on to our one-on-one tournament will be Teams Midoriya and Todoroki! We will be taking an hour break to clear away the damage from that shocking first game.. But before we go, let's take a look at who we will be seeing matched up in the first round!"

"Once again, these names have been randomized. Please take advantage of this break to prepare yourself," Midnight said, the pairings popping up on the display behind her once again.

Round One:

Midoriya Izuku-Hanta Sero

Shinsou Hitoshi-Aoyama Yuga

Iida Tenya-Hatsume Mei

Todoroki Shouto-Ashido Mina

Bakugou Katsuki-Shiozaki Ibara

Uraraka Ochako-Kaminari Denki

Tokoyami Fumikage-Yaoyorozu Momo

Kirishima Eijirou-Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

"You are dismissed for one hour!"

So Izuku would be fighting Hanta in the first round. That matchup wasn't as bad as it could have been, he thought. They both had long range quirks, and Izuku had the advantage of his training with Takahashi to fall back on this event. At least he wasn't paired with Todoroki or Bakugou in the first round, although looking at the matchups...If he and Todoroki won their first two rounds they would meet in the semifinals.

No. He couldn't think about that yet. He needed to take things one round at a time. Hanta's quirk could be dangerous, and he couldn't let himself get distracted. He had to-

"Midoriya."

Jarred from his thoughts, Izuku turned to see Todoroki standing beside him, his expression closed. "Todoroki?" Izuku had been trying to talk to him all week, and now this was twice in one day his roommate had approached him. "Did you need something?"

"Do you have a moment?" Todoroki asked. "I need to speak with you. Privately."

"I don't really think that's a good idea," Izuku answered, heading back towards the tunnel where he could see Uraraka and Iida waiting.

"It's about you," Todoroki said. "And All Might."

 **AN:** So we'll be starting the next chapter with the long awaited conversation! And you might have noticed that I messed with the one-on one match ups a little bit. I've been waiting to get to the third event since I started the sports festival, because some the changes I'm planning have long reaching effects on the next canon and original arcs. Also, you didn't think Toshinori was going to just let the person who beat up his student go did you?

Thanks to everyone who commented! I love seeing what you think!


	13. Chapter 12

" _It's about you," Todoroki said. "And All Might."_

The words chilled Izuku as quickly as if Todoroki had used his quirk on him, and he found himself nodding to the request without thinking. He could have said no, could have turned away from him. Ignored him like his roommate had been doing to him all week and gone to get lunch with Uraraka and Iida. Instead he followed Todoroki away from the hoard of students and towards an entrance far away from the crowds.

Izuku watched Todoroki as they walked, eyed the rigid set to his shoulders, the hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. Todoroki always seemed so collected in class, and he had maintained that aloof front in the face of Izuku's attempts at conversation all week.

For the first time though, Izuku thought he could see the beginnings of cracks in the composure Todoroki seemed to wear like a shield between himself and the world. This was the most emotion Izuku had ever seen from Todoroki before. And all because he wanted to talk to Izuku about All Might. About Izuku and All Might.

Todoroki had gotten in on recommendations for a reason. What he apparently lacked in social skills he made up for in the way he could read people's quirks and combat situations, and Izuku had put his quirk on display for everyone watching to see. Had he noticed the similarities between them? Had he made a connection between Izuku and All Might?

No. That couldn't be it, Izuku tried to convince himself again. With the adrenaline of the game gone it was easier to think clearly, to lay out the facts of his situation and examine them with his usual analytical eye, the panic he had felt before sputtering to a halt before it could truly build. Izuku looked more like his mother than Toshinori, especially Toshinori in his All Might form. No one could see plain looking Midoriya Izuku and see any kind of resemblance to the number one hero. As for his quirk, well, quirks always changed from one generation to the next, mixing aspects from both parents to create something related but still totally unique. The only reason Izuku's quirk was as similar as it was to Toshinori's was because of the way One for All passed from one wielder to the next.

And no one would ever guess that a quirk like that could exist.

Izuku took a shaky breath. Maybe Todoroki had noticed the extra attention All Might had given him in class. Maybe he had figured out that Izuku had known the hero before entering Yuuei. They hadn't done a very good job of hiding their familiarity with each other, after all, even though Izuku had started school still unable to believe that his idol had chosen _him._ They had only gotten worse with their casual awareness of each other since Izuku moved in with him, and the newfound nervousness he had around Toshinori probably hadn't done anything to keep his classmates from noticing their not quite normal interactions. Everyone knew Izuku was the biggest All Might fan in the country.

Could that be the reason that Todoroki had been so angry with him? They were almost at the tunnel now, and the harsh lines in his roommate's shoulders still hadn't relaxed. Did he not like Izuku because he thought Izuku had been getting special treatment?

They crossed into the shade of the stands without a word, the few people still milling about paying them no mind, and it was only when they entered the tunnel, the cool concrete pressing against Izuku's back, that Todoroki turned to face him again. His expression was just as blank as before, except for his eyes which burned into Izuku's with an intensity that made him glad he had something sturdy behind him so that he didn't crumble under the pressure of Todoroki's stare.

Todoroki had issued a challenge though, and Izuku had accepted. He met the intensity head on. "You wanted to talk to me? We need to hurry if we're going to get lunch before the next event."

"There's something about you and All Might, isn't there?" Todoroki asked, and even though Izuku had known the question was coming he felt his pulse spike at the question. "You know each other somehow, don't you?"

"Well, he is our teacher, Todoroki-kun," Izuku answered as calmly as he could. "It would be a problem if I didn't know him after all this time." The words had come without thinking, but Izuku did nothing to call them back. Something about the way that Todoroki looked at him, an edge to his gaze that spoke of strength and the ability to know how to use it, reminded him of Takahashi. Luckily that was where the similarities ended though. While one had jumped at the chance of violence under the guise of a favor, Izuku had the feeling that, despite however much Todoroki may dislike him, the only time they would actually exchange blows would be if they met each other in the third event.

Todoroki huffed at his response, his hair falling in his eyes as he continued to stare at Izuku. "That's not what I meant. You knew each other before coming to Yuuei, didn't you?"

It was easy, Izuku thought suddenly, to hide the panicked feeling that had started to claw at his as it climbed if he pretended the other was Takahashi. Takahashi whose bluntness and sarcasm Izuku had learned to meet with his own over the weeks he had trained with him.

"He saved me from a villain with a slime quirk almost a year before we took the entrance exam," Izuku shrugged. "None of the pro heroes present could do anything against the villains quirk, and I ran in thinking I could help. All Might saved me before I could get hurt, and I guess I made an impression." All technically true. If Todoroki wanted to fact check his story afterwards, it would be easy enough to look up the story. It would leave the question of why Izuku hadn't used his quirk then, but he could always say he panicked or he had avoided using it so that it wouldn't technically be considered vigilantism.

He was almost ready to pat himself on the back for that explanation when Todoroki spoke again, shattering his calm veneer with just a few simple words. "Midoriya. Are you All Might's illegitimate child?"

Todoroki had put it together. How had Todoroki put it together? Izuku didn't know what his expression looked like, but Todoroki stood across from him just as calmly as before waiting for an answer that Izuku didn't know how to give. Once again it felt like the wall was the only thing keeping him from collapsing.

His hands twisted in the air as he spoke, his gestures saying far more than his words ever could. "Wh-why would you even ask that? All Might. My dad. That's ridiculous!" Maybe Todoroki wouldn't notice the way his voice pitched higher on that single word. Izuku could barely handle calling Toshinori _Toshinori_. Calling him anything else, even phrased like that, felt like a step Izuku wasn't ready to make yet.

"So you aren't denying it then?"

"Of course I'm denying it!" Izuku burst out, the words filling the empty tunnel like a physical presence, a weight settling on his shoulders that he didn't know if he would be able to bear.. And then their meaning caught up to him. "I mean.. Of course I would deny that! I guess that doesn't really help my case though. If I were All Might's child I would deny it either way because it clearly would have been something not made public and also none of your business."

Todoroki blinked, his head tilting to the side. "So you are?"

"I'm not!"

"As for why…" Todoroki trailed off. "There's a presence around All Might. A pressure that seems to build up when he uses his quirk. I felt it at USJ. And I felt it just now with you."

"We both have enhancement quirks, I'm sure that's-"

"That's not why."

"I-I don't know what else to tell you, Todoroki." Izuku said as firmly as he could, his heart hammering in his chest. "I met All Might when that slime vilain attacked. You can look it up if you don't believe me."

"I will." Izuku thought for a moment that Todoroki would push the issue before he continued. "As for why it is my business… If you have some connection to All Might, even if it is just as his favored student, then all the more reason for me to beat you."

"Why?" Izuku felt like his head was spinning. How had their conversation ended up here? "Do you have something against All Might?"

Todoroki ducked his head, his hair shadowing his eyes. "I don't, but you know who my father is, don't you? Endeavor." He face twisted at the word, as if his father's name left a bitter taste to him mouth. "He's the number two hero, and he's never going to be able to replace All Might as number one."

"I don't understand what that has to do with us though. Your dad's rivalries aren't yours, and I'm not All Might."

"What do you know about quirk marriages?"

"I-" Everyone had heard of quirk marriages. Relationships based on trying to pass down stronger quirks to their children. They had been a problem when quirks had first become more widespread, and though they had fallen out of favor as time passed they were still fairly common in fiction. Surely Endeavor hadn't…

But Todoroki's expression didn't waver as the story poured out of him, each word laced with a harsh sincerity that left Izuku reeling.

"I decided to never use my left side in a fight. He wants to be the reason that I rise to the top, but I refuse to give him that satisfaction. That dodgeball may have taken the choice away from me, but I'll win this tournament without him and his quirk."

Izuku couldn't imagine what it must have felt like, keeping all of that to himself. Endeavor's face was everywhere, and as the number two hero Todoroki had to hear people praise him all the time. What had he thought when he came to Yuuei only to have everyone compare him to his father?

Pushing off the wall, Todoroki turned to head back out into the arena as Izuku struggled to come up with a response to what he had heard.

"Whatever this secret you have with All Might… I won't press you on it, because in the long run it doesn't matter. I'll win this tournament with only my right side and show Endeavor I don't need him to be strong."

Todoroki's situation was so different from his own it felt like nothing he could say would be the right thing. Where Todoroki wanted to succeed despite his family Izuku had only gotten to where he was because of it. Everything his mother had done had been to help him, and he felt her absence like a kick to the heart every day. What had it been like for his classmate to not have that kind of support? That kind of unconditional love? "Todoroki." His classmate turned at the sound of his name, and Izuku took a shaking breath.

"I can't say that I understand your situation or even that our circumstances are comparable but..." Izuku met the scrutiny of Todoroki's gaze, feeling a pressure behind his eyes that he refused to show. "I wouldn't be here at Yuuei without the help of others, without my mother, and I...I have something to prove for them too. So I'll met your challenge with one of my own. The winner of this tournament is going to be me."

* * *

The moment Todoroki was out of sight Izuku leaned back against the tunnel wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the cool concrete of the floor. His eyes burned, and with Todoroki gone there was nothing stopping him from finally letting the tears fall. Everything Todoroki had said about Endeavor served as a reminder of just how lucky Izuku had been to have a mother like Midoriya Inko, always so kind, and supportive, and loving. Unwavering in her faith in him, her belief that Izuku would accomplish everything he dreamed of. Todoroki had grown up without that, and Izuku couldn't imagine what that must have been like. But now...

His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs.

Izuku may have decided to end his lessons with Takahashi, to focus on living the life his mother would have wanted for him. But that didn't mean he didn't want the League to pay for what they had done.

It didn't mean that he didn't miss his mother more than anything.

Preparing for the festival, dealing with the letter's revelation, healing from the damage he had suffered at Takahashi's hand. He fallen into the same habit as usual, had taken every distraction as it came, and now he was once again dealing with the consequences of running away from his problems, crying alone in the shadows. He had gone to Takahashi hoping that training would help, and it had for a time before he was left broken and bleeding, drowning in a sorrow that even the older man's sharpness couldn't cut through. And now… maybe he would take Recovery Girl up on her suggestion when everything was over. Anything would be better than this, better than getting hit with this heartache when he least expected it, unable to do anything about it until the moment had passed.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor leading towards the tunnel, and Izuku scrubbed hastily at his face, trying to wipe away the evidence of his breakdown. He needed to go get something to eat, find some way to collect himself before the start of the next event. He needed to-

Toshinori rounded the corner, freezing when he saw Izuku curled in on himself on the floor, red faced and teary.

"Toshinori-san?" Izuku asked, his voice watery as he looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you and young Todoroki head this way from the stands. When he showed up to get food and you didn't I got worried." Toshinori stepped closer, moving to sit beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you think she would be proud of me, my mom? If she had been watching?" Izuku looked away from him as he spoke, fiddling with his hands in his lap. He could almost imagine what it would have been like to know that his mother was back at their apartment watching the events on TV. How different would things have been if his mother was there? What would she have thought of everything he had accomplished.

"Oh, Izuku, my boy," Toshinori said, his heart breaking at the hesitance in his charge's voice. Izuku looked up startled as Toshinori's arm landed around his shoulders, pulling him to his side. "Of course she would be proud of you."

"I miss her."

Toshinori's arm tighten around him. "I know," he said, wishing there was something else he could offer him. You know that I'm proud you too."

"I know," came the muffled response as Izuku turned his face towards Toshinori's shoulder.

And if a warmth sparked in his chest at the words, no one needed to know.

* * *

Shigaraki sat alone, the light from the television in front of him bright in the darkness of the room. On the screen Midoriya Izuku stood in the middle of the arena, the camera freezing on boy's stunned expression as he stared at the wreckage his quirk had caused before the image jumped, looping back to the moment before the ball had left his hand. Shigaraki watched the scene again, his fingers scratching painfully at the skin of his neck as he watched the pro hero barely manage to stop the blast in time.

He had watched the same clip over and over during the hour break before the third and final event of the sports festival, and yet there was still something about what had happened that didn't sit right with him. Shigaraki had noticed the similarities between the green haired boy and All Might during their failed attempt to kill him at the USJ. The presence that seemed to charge the air around them in their anger, in their need to defend others.

On screen a concrete wall exploded.

Why did they share that presence? Shigaraki thought absently, ignoring the sting as blood welled at the lines he had carved in his throat. What connection did Midoriya Izuku really have with the number one hero? Shigaraki had followed his master's orders without question, sure that another meeting with the Yuuei student would give him the answers he wanted.

Except that Midoriya hadn't been there, and Shigaraki had had to settle for interrogating the mother instead, his anger growing with every question she refused to answer. He had killed her as much for pissing him off after that as he had because his master had wanted him to send a message.

The video looped again.

Just the thought of how he had been refused what he wanted made the anger surge again. If he couldn't figure out the connection on his own, couldn't get the information from someone else, Shigaraki would simply have to go to the source. He would find out why Midoriya made him angry in a way no one but the number one hero had before, and when he did the boy would die with Shigaraki's hand wrapped around his throat.

 **AN:** Up Next: Round One begins!

Yokija on tumblr created some awesome art for this fic! Go check it out!

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, and I hope their conversation met your expectations.


	14. Chapter 13

Are you ready for the first round?" Toshinori asked.

They stood a ways down the corridor from the waiting room Izuku had been assigned, backs against the wall. Izuku could still feel a burn behind his eyes, a tightness in his throat from the tears that had finally stopped, but the worst of it seemed to be behind him for the moment. Not much time remained until the start of the next event, and Izuku had to be ready to fight first.

"I think so," he answered, scuffing his shoe across the floor, the red bright against the dark concrete. "I'm lucky I got paired with someone from Class-A. I know a lot about Hanta-kun's quirk just from being in his class." Izuku wasn't as close to Hanta Sero as he was with some of their other classmates, but the practicals they had been doing since the start of the year gave him plenty of time to analyze the way the other boy's quirk worked.

"He might be able to say the same about you though, young Izuku." Toshinori paused, coughing roughly into his hand for a moment. "He'll know the downfalls of your quirk better than those who aren't in 1-A. That display with the dodgeball might have intimidated the others, but Hanta-kun will know that you can't use your quirk without it injuring you."

"Well, there's an easy fix to that!"

Toshinori looked over at his student quickly at the bright tone of his voice. It wasn't that he didn't have faith that Izuku could move on to the next round, but the fact that he still couldn't find a way to access One for All's strength in a less self-destructive way meant that his options were limited. If he had been paired with either of the Class-B students or the student from the Gen Ed course, Izuku could have taken advantage of the fact that all they knew about his quirk was what they had seen in the last event. He hadn't used his quirk during the obstacle course at all. The destruction his throw had caused would have been all they had to go on.

"An easy fix?"

"Of course!" Izuku turned to him, his smile flashing. "I just won't use my quirk!"

"What!" Toshinori choked, and the hand that he wiped across his face came away red. "Not use your quirk?"

Izuku stepped away from the wall, moving until he stood in front of Toshinori, hands clasped behind his back. The smile on his face stayed in place, but something about the expression made Toshinori unsettled. The last time he had seen that look in his young charge's eyes Izuku had returned home with a bruise blossoming across his face and more tucked out of sight by the sleeves of his t-shirt.

"Izuku-"

"I know that what I did wasn't the right decision," Izuku interrupted, his voice hard. "I should have talked to you or Aizawa-sensei, should have asked for training. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to use what I learned. That person-" He broke off, looking away from the narrowed intensity of Toshinori's gaze. "They aren't a good person. I knew that going into it. It's why I chose them. It was reckless and stupid. There were a million other things I could have done instead. But I can't just ignore what I learned because I went about it the wrong way. Everything I went through there would be for nothing if I did."

Toshinori took a long, shaking breath. Tsukauchi had told him a little about the man that had-Toshinori didn't want to refer to it as 'training'- the man that Izuku had gone to. Gambling, illegal quirk fights. He had gotten enough details to know that what Takahashi had put Izuku through had probably been worse than it looked, and he would be having words with the man once the sports festival was said and done with and Izuku was back in the safety of the dorms.

He wished that Izuku hadn't gone through that, wished that he hadn't felt the need to punish himself by turning to someone like Takahashi for help, but there was nothing Toshinori could do to change what had been done. "I'm not going to tell you not to use what you learned." He said finally. "When you become a pro hero, any skill that gives you an edge in the fight is a valuable one. I want you to promise me though, that you won't let yourself be hurt on purpose. Do your best, but this is only a sports festival. Don't do something too risky now and ruin your chances for the future."

"I won't," Izuku promised. "I've learned my limits for now. I'll make sure I win before Hanta-kun can push me that far."

Tension still charged the air around them, but the pressure building in Toshinori's chest loosened its hold as Izuku's words rang sincere.

"Then I do believe it's time to tell the world that Midoriya Izuku has arrived."

* * *

Izuku walked the rest of the distance to the waiting room alone, leaving Toshinori to start the long trek back to the stands as the beginning of the third and final event ticked closer. The room was still empty when he arrived, and Izuku quickly moved to sit at the table as he waited for someone to come and get him.

He had been honest when he said that going to Takahashi had been a mistake. Looking back on things now, he wouldn't have made the same decision if he had known how things were going to turn out, but he couldn't help but be glad for the advantage the experience would give him in the next rounds.

Yuuei, for all that it was hailed as the best hero school in the country, didn't put a lot of focus on martial arts or self defense outside of the use of quirks. Izuku hadn't given it much thought before, too caught up in trying to figure out how to use his quirk without it destroying his body to focus on much else, but his trying with Takahashi had highlighted just how much of a difference that lack of training could make.

Hanta would be planning to force Izuku into a situation where he would have to use his quirk. Limit his options, and then get Izuku to limit them some more by injuring himself in the process. No one outside of Uraraka and Iida knew that he had been training with someone outside of Yuuei, and maybe he would have been in serious trouble if he had had to fight Hanta before, but now?

Izuku had been training with someone who knew his next move before he did. No matter what Hanta ended up doing, if Izuku paid attention and stayed careful he could win without having to rely on his quirk. Better to save the lecture from Recovery Girl for when he had no other choice.

There was a knock at the door, and Izuku stood quickly. It was time for the third event to begin.

The crowd roared as Izuku and Hanta entered the arena from opposite ends.

"I hope everyone enjoyed that break," Present Mic's voice boomed. "Because it's time for our final event!"

The paint outlining the bounds from the dodgeball game had been removed during the break leaving a wide open space in the center of the arena with only a simply white line marking the new territory. Hanta smiled at Izuku from across the field, waving at him when he caught his eye. Izuku waved back.

"For those of you unfamiliar with how our one on one tournament works, the rules are very simple. Opponents for the first round have been chosen by random. Winners move on the the next round. If you lose, you're out. The match will end when someone is either pushed out of bounds, unable to continue, or gives up. We'll be taking another break after the first four matches."

"First up we have Midoriya Izuku and Hanta Sero," Midnight said, stepping up to the sidelines. "I will be serving as referee as needed."

"Now we haven't seen much from Class A's Hanta Sero during this festival," Present Mic continued, "but Midoriya-kun has made quite the impression from the events so far. First place in the obstacle course without the use of his quirk, and that impressive show of strength during the dodgeball game. They're both in you class, Eraserhead, what do you think of this match-up?"

"Both have been put into the hero course for a reason." Aizawa's answer was muffled by the bandages he still wore.

"Well that was..succinct," Present Mic said after a pause. "Midnight, if you would?"

Izuku took a deep breath, shifting his foot as he waited for Midnight to give the call. Without One for All, Izuku would need to act fast. Hanta's quirk released quickly, and if Izuku wasn't ready he could close the distance between them before Izuku had time to react. Hanta, like most of the rest of 1-A, had no training outside of his quirk. If Izuku could avoid his tape and get in close without getting caught-

"Start!"

Tape shot across the field before the word had finished echoing through the stadium, and Izuku ducked. Concrete scraped painfully at his hands as he rolled out of the way of a second strand, launching himself back to his feet as he ran.

"And the first match starts with Midoriya on the defensive! Hanta's quirk-Tape- could end up being a real problem for Midoriya if he gets himself caught up in it."

Hanta stepped away from the boundary, shooting tape after tape at Izuku as he inched closer. He had to close the distance between them, had to get close enough that Hanta's quirk wouldn't be as maneuverable. Izuku moved out of the way of stand, only to have another one coming right towards his face. Eyes wide, Izuku tripped, sliding into the roll that followed much harder than he had intended.

He needed to get closer. Now. But Hanta wasn't letting up on the onslaught of tape he was shooting Izuku's way, trying to get him trapped, unable to move. Tape littered the ground around them. How much longer could Hanta keep this up? Quirks were physical abilities, after all. There had to be a limit to how much tape he could use in a short amount of time. Had Hanta just decided that the risk of reaching that limit was worth it if it meant that Izuku didn't use his quirk?

"Will this force Midoriya to use his quirk?" Present Mic's voice rang out. "How will Hanta deal with that explosive power?"

Get in close. Get in close. Izuku stumbled as a strand hit the ground near his shoes, his heart hammering in his chest. Hanta was still grinning, but as Izuku watched he reached up to wipe at the sweat running down the side of his face. He had to be reaching his limit soon. If Izuku could just keep out of the way of his shots for a little while longer, inch his way that much more across the field.

"What's this? Hanta seems to be slowing down!"

It was true, Izuku noticed. The shots had slowed down. It was easier now for him to move, to roll out of the way without having to worry about another shot coming before he could get back to his feet. Izuku grinned. He had waited long enough.

"And Midoriya is on the move!"

Putting on one last burst of speed, Izuku ran straight for Hanta, who backed up stumbling as Izuku reached him. Hanta went to shoot off another strand of tape, but the strand came out shorter than the others. When Hanta tried again, his eyes widened as nothing happened.

Izuku grabbed his arm, twisting one behind his back as he raised the other out of the way. Hanta struggled in his grip, and Izuku bit his lip as an elbow jammed into his stomach.

"And Midoriya has Hanta trapped!"

"Do you give up?" Izuku asked.

Hanta answered by jerked his arm out of Izuku's grasp, his raised hand coming down to smash Izuku in the face. Warmth spread over his nose as Hanta whirled away, the taste of blood filling his mouth.

So much for avoiding that lecture from Recovery Girl. His nose had to be broken from the way it hurt to breath.

"And Hanta has gotten free!"

They had moved closer to the boundary in the scuffle, and Hanta seemed to realize this, moving sideways away from Izuku as he tried to get to the center of the field. Izuku rushed to stop him, grabbing Hanta's arm as he ran and swinging him back towards the lines.

Hanta, not expecting Izuku to be able to drag him back, tripped over his own feet as he was spun around. With a hard shove, Izuku sent him falling towards the lines. As if in slow motion Hanta tried to shoot another piece of tape, anything to pull him back, to keep him from crossing the line, put the dispenser sputtered, empty. He crashed, momentum sending him skidding across the line and out of bounds.

"Winner: Midoriya!"

Izuku stood, breathing heavy, as the crowd exploded into sound again. Blood still trickled down over his mouth, and he was sure that his face had to be smeared with red. Hanta got to his feet shakily.

"Wow, Midoriya! How did you-" His words cut off as he turned, catching his first look at Izuku. His jaw dropped. "I hit you that hard? Are you okay?"

Waving him off, Izuku smiled. "It looks worse than it feels, I promise!"

"Uh…" If anything Hanta looked even more guilty. "Midoriya? You kind of have blood in your...um… in your teeth? It's really not helping me think you're okay."

"Oh." Yeah, Izuku could see how that wouldn't be helpful.

"Hanta," Midnight said, coming up to them. "If you're okay, you can go ahead and return to the stands. Midoriya?"

"Yes, Midnight-san?" He asked, already knowing what was coming.

"Go see Recovery Girl."

"But the next round!" Izuku protested. "I'll be fighting whoever wins in the next round and-"

"And so you will be coming with me so that I can make sure you're in good enough shape, Midoriya-kun." A voice interrupted.

Recovery Girl stood behind them, hands on her hip as a med robot hovered beside her. "I usually wait for injured students to come see me in these situations, but knowing you I wasn't sure if you would come if you were left on your own. Don't worry, Midnight. I'll make sure he doesn't come back until he's ready."

"But-"

"I can always ban him from the rest of the competition if needed."

"Coming." Izuku deflated. He would have to get Uraraka to tell him about the next match if he didn't get back before it was over. It wasn't as good as watching it himself, but he trusted her to tell him what he would need to know.

Recovery Girl smiled. "That's what I thought," she said, starting towards the exit.

He took one last look at the arena, the cheering crowds as Midnight began to prepare for the next match, and followed.

"Um...Recovery Girl?" Izuku asked once they had passed through the tunnel into the main corridor.

"I'm not healing you until we've reached my office and you're sitting down. You may have only broken your nose this time, but my quirk still needs your energy to make it work. I'm not risking you passing out in the hallway when you just finished a fight."

"At least I didn't injure myself this time?" Izuku tried to joke, but Recovery Girl's eyes cut towards him.

"Considering the injuries you've just recently healed from, I wouldn't be laughing right now if I were you. Was it too much to ask for no injuries this round?"

"Probably," Izuku responded, the adrenaline from the match making him feel brave.

Recovery Girl huffed in response. "You two are so alike."

"What?"

"Nevermind." They stopped outside her office. "Well go on in, you want to get back to see the next match don't you?"

Izuku hurried to do as she asked. Compared to all of the other injuries Recovery Girl had treated for him the broken nose was nothing. He was in and out faster than the walk to her office had taken, and the moment she said he could leave he was already on his way to the door.

"I don't want to see you here after your next match, Midoriya!" She called after him. "I mean it!"

"I make no promises!" Izuku yelled over his shoulder as ran, earning him a few laughs from the pro heros milling about in the corridor.

He had to get back to the stands before the match ended. A page in his notebook had been dedicated to outlining all of the strengths and weaknesses of Aoyama's quirk, just like he had done with the rest of 1-A, but Shinsou Hitoshi?

Izuku knew nothing about the Gen Ed student or his quirk, and he didn't like not knowing. Especially since he might be facing him in the next round. Running up the flight of stairs leading to the student section, he could hear the echo of Present Mic's voice, his words becoming clearer and clearer as he reached to top.

"I don't believe this!" Izuku heard as he reached the landing.

He was almost there. Just a little farther.

Skidding to a stop as the field came into view, Izuku froze as Present Mic spoke again.

"Aoyama is out of bounds! Winner: Shinsou!"

The second match had ended, and Izuku had missed the entire thing.

 **AN:** Sorry it's so late today. We had someone working on our modem this morning, and by time the left I had to go to work.

Up Next Week: Iida vs Hatsume, Todoroki vs. Ashido, and Izuku has a chat with Shinsou

Thanks to everyone who commented!


	15. Chapter 14

"Are you okay, Deku-kun?" Uraraka asked when he finally made it back to his seat. "It looked like a lot of blood from here."

Izuku rubbed at the back of his neck. "Just a broken nose. Recovery Girl healed it in no time. But what happened with the last match? I couldn't have been gone more than five minutes."

While he didn't know what the Gen Ed student's quirk was, he had seen Aoyama in class. For all that he seemed to not take things seriously in their everyday classes Aoyama deserved to be in the hero course. How had he lost in the time it had taken Izuku to get back to he stands?

If his quirk was that strong why wasn't he in the hero course?

"I'm really sorry about that, again," Hanta said, leaning over the row above Izuku as he took a seat next to Uraraka. "I wasn't trying to break anything but-"

"We were fighting," Izuku said, shrugging it off. Uraraka hovered beside him, reaching a hand out to gently poke at his nose. " Uraraka-san! I'm really fine, I promise."

"You say you're fine even when you have broken bones, Deku-kun. I'm just making sure your definition of fine and mine match today." She responded immediately, making a face at him as Hanta tried not to laugh.

Izuku sighed, letting Uraraka turn his head to get a better look. There would be no arguing with her when she decided his safety was in question.

"Really though, Hanta-kun. It was my fault for not paying attention to what you were doing. If I was going to ask you to yield, the least I should have done was make sure you couldn't get free. It's not your fault. You did what you were supposed to."

When Uraraka released him Izuku grinned. "Did I pass your inspection, Uraraka-sensei?"

She huffed, but the corner of her mouth twitched as she looked away from him. "For now. This was only the first round though. Who knows what kind of reckless thing you'll do next."

"Speaking of," Izuku said, looking down at the field. Iida and Hatsume were both there already, but the next match hadn't been announced yet as they continued to talk to Midnight. Izuku could see Iida shaking his head to something the support course student said, gesturing wildly with his hands as he did so. Hatsume frowned, and Izuku wished he was close enough to hear what they were arguing about. "What happened with the second match? I thought for sure I would be able to catch the end of it, but it was over before I could get back out. What happened?"

Uraraka didn't answer for a moment. "Honestly? I'm not entirely sure. I expected Aoyama to shoot right away, you know? That Gen Ed student? Shinsou? No one knows his quirk, so it seemed like Aoyama's best bet would be to strike before Shinsou got the chance, only they started talking instead."

Izuku had expected some kind of quirk like Todoroki's, something that could have stopped Aoyama in his tracks and force him to give in rather than fight. There had been no visible damage to the arena other than the remains of the explosion Izuku had caused that hadn't been cleaned up yet. "They just talked?"

"At first. We couldn't hear anything they were saying, of course, but Aoyama-kun seemed pretty flustered," she said, leaning back in her seat as she stretched. "Aoyama-kun started shooting after that, and he got pretty close to hitting Shinsou, but they were all just a little off. Shinsou got in close, twisted his belt around."

That was right, Izuku suddenly remembered. Aoyama had gotten special permission to use the belt during the festival because he needed it to use his quirk. Had Shinsou known that beforehand or had he noticed it during the fight? If he already knew then that meant that he had done research on the hero course students. He would know all about Izuku's quirk while Izuku knew nothing about his.

"What happened after that?"

"That was it, basically," Uraraka said. "With his belt not in place, Aoyama-kun couldn't use his quirk. Shinsou said something else to him, and Aoyama gave in."

"He didn't even try to get free?" Aoyama did mainly rely on his quirk in their practicals, and he definitely wasn't one of the most physical students in 1-A, but for him to just give in like that didn't make sense.

"Not that I could see," she answered. "And as for Shinsou's quirk...I'm sorry, Deku-kun, but he didn't use it. I didn't see anything that would help you in the next round."

"Knowing that he didn't use it is helpful too. Thanks for keeping an eye out for me."

Uraraka laughed. "Just try not to have to go see Recovery Girl after every round."

"I can try?"

* * *

The sports festival was supposed to be Iida's chance to shine, to show his brother all that he had learned. The plan had been simple and straightforward. Do his best. Make it to the finals. Earn the internship that would start him on his true path to being a pro hero. No need to waste time that could be spent on preparing himself by worrying.

Maybe that was why everything went as wrong as it did. Iida was used to planning out every action, thinking every decision and response through, and that just wasn't possible with the format of the festival. It would be good practice, he told himself. You can't always plan for everything in the field. He would be much better off in this case knowing his goals and accepting the challenges as they came.

That was what Midoriya did, after all, and his friend always seemed to rise to the occasion and do the impossible when no one else thought he could.

Iida was proud of his friend, he really was, but sometimes he couldn't help the spark of jealousy he felt watching Midoriya make his way with such assurance while Iida himself struggled to keep up with his accomplishments. He wanted Midoriya to succeed, to find a way to deal with the quirk that always seemed to strike back against him, to be recognized as the hero Iida already thought him to be. He just wanted to be there too.

The fact that their quirks were limited in the first event was a shock, but Iida could see the point of what Midnight had been saying. Quirks had limits. Situations always had disadvantages. Learning how to face those challenges was part of the reason they were studying at such a prestigious school like Yuuei. He would face this challenge head on, learning from it what he could. Even without his quirk he knew that he was one of the most physically fit in his class, at least. He could do this. He could win.

Except he didn't. He had fallen behind crossing the landmines, and because he had used his quirk earlier he was stuck at the same snail's pace as everyone else. Midnight had set the test, and Iida had failed. Only Midoriya, smart creative thinker that he was, had come up with a solution that didn't require a quirk. He had blown them all away in a moment, leaving Iida trailing behind him in the dust again.

The first event hadn't gone as planned, but Iida couldn't let it hold him back. There were two other events. As long as he continued to move on, there would be plenty of chances for him to make his brother proud. Patience was an important virtue for a hero-to-be. Iida could still take the second event by storm, and it wouldn't matter that he had only finished the first event in fourth.

When the dodgeball game was announced, Iida felt sure that his moment had come. A ball that copied quirks? It seemed like a game tailor made to put Iida at an advantage. Even if it didn't replicate his full speed, the other students would still be hard pressed to avoid his throws. He might not be able to make a concrete wall explode with the strength of his quirk-and honestly, what had that been about? He would have to question Midoriya later-but he could still make an impression during this event.

Or he would have if he had ever been able to get his hands on the damn ball.

Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto lived up to the nature of their quirks on national television in a way that Iida probably should have anticipated but was, nonetheless, unprepared for. Rather than work together as a team, the two had jumped into a personal competition instantly. Iida had never been more infuriated or ashamed in all his time at Yuuei. The sports festival was one of the most anticipated events in the country, and his classmates were spitting all over that with their petty little squabbles.

The moment Todoroki made the first throw Iida knew this event wasn't going to go his way either. Todoroki, usually the classmate Iida felt like he didn't have to worry about, seemed off balance in a way he had never seen him before, fighting with Bakugou in order to get the ball. They paid no attention to the rest of their teammates, and although Iida tried to get them to stop nothing he said got through to them. Sure, he could have stolen the ball. He was faster than both of them on his slowest day, but was that really what he wanted to be known for? Fighting with his own teammates?

He had been trying to get through to them with words when Bakugou stepped out of the way incoming ball, and Iida was eliminated.

The second event had passed, and he had made no more of a positive impression than the people who weren't lucky enough to move on to the third event. His team had won despite Bakugou and Todoroki's infighting, but it wasn't thanks to him. Another opportunity passed with nothing to show for it, and only the third event left.

Had things been different, maybe Iida would have taken Hatsume Mei up on her proposal. Midnight seemed to think that it was fine, using the support course student's own inventions against her. But Iida couldn't agree.

"Go ahead, Iida-kun!" Hatsume urged, her hair still in disarray from Midoriya's blast. "My babies were made for this festival! I want you to use them!"

"I'm afraid I must decline," Iida said, trying to keep the growing knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach from showing through his voice. "I will use my quirk only for this event. That's the reason I'm in the hero course."

"But even pro heroes use support items! That's the whole reason my business exists."

"I'm sorry. But my answer is still no." He had tried so hard in the first event and it still hadn't been enough. How could he accept moving forward again without it being by his own power?

"Hatsume, you can still use your support items as you wish, but if Iida doesn't want to use them then that's his decision," Midnight intervened. "Now if that's all, let's move on to your match. Please take your places."

Pouting, Hatsume did as Midnight asked. Iida, moving to his own starting point, took the opportunity to take note of all of visible support items. Goggles keeping her hair away from her face. Some kind of backpack that he didn't know enough about tech to even begin to guess the purpose of. Thick metal shoes that linked to a device she held in her hand. Who knew what else she had that Iida couldn't see, and he couldn't assume she wouldn't use her quirk because she wasn't in the hero course

"And now we're ready for our third match! Iida Tenya from the hero course vs. Hatsume Mei from the support course!"

Iida would have to make the first move. Push her out of bounds before she could use any of her inventions. But should he use Reciprocal Burst? No one knew about it yet. Did he want to give it away this early? Did he have a choice?

"Start!"

His time to decide was up, and Iida raced across the field. He would save the ace up his sleeve for when he needed it.

Hatsume smiled, unmoving as he closed the distance between them. "Look how fast he moves! That's some quirk isn't it?" Hatsume's voice rang through the stadium, and Iida, surprise, fumbled at the sound of her voice.

She was speaking to the audience? Why? Iida shook his head as he ran. Her reasons didn't matter. Unless her quirk had to do with her voice he didn't need to be concerned about whatever she was saying.

Iida had almost reached her when she pressed the button on the device in her hand and rocket over his head and away, leaving him skidding to a halt to keep himself from crossing over the boundaries.

"But even his speed is avoidable with this little baby I invented! What do you think? Useful for almost any situation and very affordable!"

Was she-was she trying to sell her inventions during their fight? Iida felt torn between being impressed with her resourcefulness and being angry that she wasn't taking him seriously. He charged, and once again Hatsume lifted herself out of his grasp at the last second, hovering just out of reach as she spoke again.

"Of course all support items are made even better by the quality of the hero who uses them! Just imagine the stars of your agencies with something as versatile as this!"

Iida could see her descent start as she moved to touch down on the opposite end of the field. His normal speed wouldn't do it, but with Reciprocal Burst… He had wanted to hang on to the trick until later, but the longer Hatsume continued to avoid him to more ridiculous he looked. Better to end the fight now before things got worse. No wonder she had wanted him to use her inventions.

Heat spread through his engines as watched Hatsume get closer to the ground. He had to time this perfectly. Too soon and she would be able to stop her descent. Too late and she could take off again. A little lower and…

Iida took off, the extra power from Reciprocal Burst putting him in front of Hatsume before she could react.

"What?" The controller slipped from her grip in her surprise, and Iida took advantage of her hesitation to grab her as she hovered just above the ground. Another second and, with a hard shove, Hatsume Mei crossed out of bounds.

"Winner:Iida!"

Breathing hard as his engines sputtered, Iida felt a hand slap his back.

"I would have appreciated a little more time to show off my babies, but I guess that's what happens when you're paired with someone from the hero course," Hatsume said smiling, a sparkle in her eye. "At least I got to show off some stuff earlier. Let me know if you ever need any support items, alright, Iida-kun? A quirk like yours would open up a lot of options for an inventor of my skill!" With a wink she was gone, crossing the arena to where the other support students were waiting.

Iida took a shaking breath as he started towards his own exit, his legs still shaking from the fallout of overdrawing his power. He had won, but Hatsume had been toying with him, using him to sell her products. Could he really count that as a win? He was moving on but his opponent had never actually tried to beat him.

Another chance down, he thought gritting his teeth. Another one to go.

He couldn't let that one go to waste like all the others.

* * *

The fourth match ended almost immediately after it started. While Mina's acid worked well against Todoroki's ice in theory, the moment Midnight said start she was so hit with an onslaught of ice so heavy so quickly there was nothing she could do to stop it. The match was called as Mina admitted she couldn't move enough to free herself, and when Midnight announced the short break before the rest of the round Iida hadn't returned to his seat.

"He didn't get hurt right?" Izuku asked. He hadn't seen Hatsume touch him, but that last burst of speed had been faster than anything Izuku had seen from his friend before. "I'm going to go look for him. Will you text me if he comes back while I'm gone?"

"Of course!" Uraraka agreed, and Izuku left the stands quickly. He would check the locker rooms first. Maybe Iida had been injured and gone to see Recovery Girl.

The staircase leading to the bottom floor wasn't far away from 1-A's section, and when Izuku reached it he rounded the corner running straight into somebody else. His hands burned as he reached back to brace himself as he fell, skin scraping against the concrete.

"Uraraka's going to kill me," he mumbled as he tried to right himself. "I can't even walk down a hallway without hurting myself. Are you okay?"

"Trying to take out your competition before the next round, Midoriya?" A flat voice responded. "I didn't know the hero course resorted to such actions."

Shinsou Hitoshi sat on the floor in front of him, blood welling at the scratches on his upturned palms. Shinsou Hitoshi who he was fighting in the next round. Izuku's mind short circuited.

"I am so sorry! Are you okay? Of course you aren't okay. You're bleeding. Let's go see Recovery Girl! I'm sure she can get you some bandages! Or she can heal it? Whichever you want. I am really so so sorry. I was worried about my friend and not paying attention, and-"

"Do you always ramble this much?" Shinsou asked. He had made no move to stand up, staring at Izuku as they sat in the middle of the hallway. "Or just when you're trying to murder someone?"

"Murder!" Izuku's breaking in panic. Oh God, he had just injured his competition. What if he had seriously hurt him?

Shinsou somehow managed to looked like he was simultaneously fighting a smile while angry at himself for doing it in the first place. "Murder might be pushing it. Negligent homicide? Seems more appropriate since you weren't watching where you were going."

"Are you really okay?"

"Don't worry about it," Shinsou responded, finally standing up although he was careful not to bother his hands. "I'll go see Recovery Girl. You don't have to worry about this affecting the match. Besides, I wanted to meet you before our fight anyway."

"You did?" Izuku asked, hesitant, the smile on Shinsou's face making him altogether uncomfortable.

"Of course." Shinsou's eyes flashed as he spoke. "I wanted to tell you that you're going to lose."

 **AN:** Up Next Week: Uraraka vs. Kaminari

Also, just a heads up that I'll be start back college classes on Monday. I'll try to stick to my update schedule as much as possible, but the chapters might be a little late while I'm adjusting to my new course load. If you have any questions about the story or want updates on the chapter progress I'm on Tumblr at theslytherinpaladin as well!

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter!


	16. Chapter 15

Izuku felt rooted in his spot after Shinsou's declaration of war(because really what else could he call it), struggling to pull a response from the haze that had filled his head. Had he really been that jarred during his fall? By the time he could think clearly again the Gen Ed student had vanished, stalking passed him and and back towards the student section of the stands with one last crooked grin.

Shaking his head, Izuku felt the fog lift.

He would need to come up with a plan for dealing with Shinsou's unknown quirk, but he didn't have time to think about that now. What had he been doing before they had collided?

Iida. He needed to find Iida. Pushing the confrontation from his mind, Izuku headed down the stairs towards the waiting rooms. He would check the locker room first. If Iida wasn't there, he could always go see Recovery Girl. Double check that his friend hadn't been injured in his fight.

In the end he didn't have to look long. Izuku had just turned down the hallway when Iida stepped out of one of the extra waiting rooms. His eyes widened when he saw Izuku.

"Midoriya-kun? Is everything okay?" He asked.

"I was going to ask you that, Iida-kun. Uraraka-san and I were worried when you didn't come back to the stands. Were you hurt during your fight?"

Iida shook his head quickly. "Oh no, I'm fine! I am sorry that I had the two of you concerned! I just needed a moment to think about the next round. Reflecting on past matches is an important part of preparing for a career as a pro hero, after all."

The words sounded like a normal thing for Iida to say, but Izuku couldn't stop himself from looking his friend over carefully. Iida looked fine, like he said, but they had known each other long enough for Izuku to know that Iida also had a different definition of the word "fine" than Uraraka would have probably liked.

"We should probably head back before we miss the next match," Iida said, moving towards the stairs. "We should wish Uraraka-kun luck before her fight."

Izuku waffled for a moment behind him before hurrying to catch up with Iida's longer strides. "She's fighting against Kaminari this round," he said when he pulled up beside him. "He doesn't have as much control over his quirk. If she can just avoid him long enough for him to reach his limit-"

"Uraraka-kun definitely has an advantage over Kaminari when it comes to control. If she uses her quirk like that first practical-"

They continued to discuss the upcoming match as they walked back towards the stands. The sound of an explosion rang through the arena as they reached their section, Bakugou blasting Shiozaki's vines away from him on the field below. Shiozaki shrieked as the vines still attached to her head caught fire.

"Midoriya-chan!" Tsuyu said, drawing Izuku's attention away from the fight. "Ochako-chan asked me to let you and Iida-kun know that she wanted to go ahead to the waiting room before her match."

"We must have just missed her on our way back," Izuku mumbled. "Thanks, Tsuyu-san."

Izuku and Iida took their seats again as Midnight declared Bakugou the winner.

"I wish we could have talked to Uraraka-kun before her match," Iida said, watching their friend step out into the arena.

"Uraraka-san has got this," Izuku said confidently. "No offense to Kaminari-kun, but she's going to kick his ass."

* * *

Uraraka knew there weren't a lot of people expecting her to win her fight. As soon as the matchups were revealed most of the audience had probably written her off. She was the girl-even though that really shouldn't matter in a world with literal superpowers, she thought bitterly- she wasn't as obviously physically strong, her quirk couldn't break down walls or knock out opponents in a single attack.

Kaminari hadn't made much of a splash in the second event-hardly anyone on his team had given the way Bakugou and Todoroki had acted- but the first event had been just enough to show off the magnitude of what his quirk could be capable of. Compared to that brute strength, what did she really have? What could an ability like hers do against a quirk like Kaminari's. He could electrocute her the moment she made a move to get in close, and the match would be over in an instant if she couldn't dodge. She had no way to counter his attack on her own.

It made sense that they would see her as the weaker one, even though she knew she was anything but.

Leaving the stands after a short conversation with Tsuyu, Uraraka started towards the waiting rooms as Bakugou and Shiozaki took the field. Deku and Iida hadn't returned yet, but she needed to move, needed to get away from the crowd, and the cheers, and the sound of Midnight introducing the match down below. She had to think and the feeling that had started to crawl across her skin at sounds echoing through the arena was doing nothing to help her concentration.

She had to win this match, it was that simple.

The first event hadn't gone as terribly as it could have with the quirk limitation. She hadn't finished as high ranking as she would have liked, but she had managed to move on at least. And the second event? As great as an opportunity as it was to show off her quirk, nothing she did could have stood out with Deku's amazing throw right before.

She didn't blame Deku for stealing the spotlight. He was such an great friend-so kind, loyal, dedicated. He would be a great hero one day, and Uraraka didn't begrudge him the chance to get the attention he deserved after everything he had done. She just wanted her own time to shine a little brighter, that was all. If she planned to have words with Deku about why his quirk always managed to injure him and how he might be able to control that power, well, that was another matter entirely.

No one spoke to her on the way to the room, and Uraraka managed to slip inside unnoticed as Present Mic's voice reverberated through the building. She couldn't be sure what exactly the pro hero was saying, but one thing was clear. The last match before hers had finally started, and Uraraka was running out of time to come up with a plan.

In terms of pure power she came nowhere near Kaminari's level, but she was used to that by now. Zero Gravity might be a versatile quirk, but it wasn't flashy. She needed to be able to think her way around the problem rather than force her way through like a lot of her other classmates. Briefly, she wondered what Deku would do if he had a quirk like hers. He always seemed to come up with unexpected and out of the box solutions to his problems. What would he do in a situation like this?

The way she saw it, there were two different options she could choose from. Just like the nausea that struck her when she used her quirk too much, Kaminari had a limit to how much electricity he could produce. If she could out last him, make him reach his limit before she reached hers, then the match would be hers. She wouldn't have to worry about making him give in or getting him out of bounds, because no matter what he did at that point he wouldn't be able to fight.

Did she really want to win that way though? If the point of the sports festival was to show potential mentors and pro heroes her quirk, that didn't seem the way to do it. Sure, it showed an ability to analyze a situation, to use what you know about an opponent's weaknesses against them, but it didn't do much to demonstrate her actual abilities in combat. Something the pros would definitely be looking for in anyone they were interesting in offering an internship spot to.

And what if that was Kaminari's plan too? Her quirk's weakness was no secret either. The whole class had seen the after effects of pushing herself too far on more than one occasion, and Kaminari had an issue about fighting girls that he didn't keep to himself. He could very easily be planning to wait her out in the hopes that he would be able to move on without actually having to fight her.

No. If she wanted to win she need to take an active role in the fight. All she needed to do was put a hand on him and she could win. Make him weightless and push him out of bounds before she got sick. No matter what she did, winning would be a challenge. At least this way the fight would start out on her terms-and if she was lucky it would end on her terms as well.

Outside the sound of an explosion rocked the arena.

If Uraraka remembered correctly, Bakugou would be fighting someone with a plant based quirk this round. There was no way the fight would last much longer than it had, and-planned decided on- Uraraka tried to use the remaining time to calm the nerves she could still feel creeping down her skin. She had to win, had to take this opportunity while she had it. She didn't have the time to panic or be nervous. Her future depended on this. Her family, although they tried to tell her otherwise, depended on her success. She couldn't let them or herself down.

A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts. Bakugou's match had finally ended.

Kaminari wasn't going to know what hit him.

* * *

Stepping out into the sunlit arena was blinding after her walk through the dimly lit corridor. The crowd cheered as she and Kaminari entered, but Uraraka heard it as if from a distance, the ringing in her ears drowning out everything else. Midnight gestured for her to approach the center of the field, and Uraraka took a faltering step forward before regaining her footing.

Her lungs burned as she and Kaminari moved towards each other. Breathing was important, but how did you breathe again?

Kaminari shot her a smile when they both stopped in from of Midnight, and Uraraka hurried to return it. He wanted to win just as much as she did, and although their situations were exactly the same she refused to let her own anxieties keep her from being kind to her classmate because they had been matched against each other for this fight.

"Before we begin, I'm going to go over the rules one more time," Midnight said, making sure her mic pointed away from her face. "You can win this fight by either getting your opponent to give in or by forcing them out of bounds. If at any time you are unable to continue, the match will be called. Do you have any questions?"

Uraraka shook her head. "I understand."

"Then you can take your places, and we can begin."

She had already started to turn when Kaminari called her name.

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry we had to get paired up," he said. His smile hadn't changed, but his words made Uraraka's blood boil. "No hard feelings, no matter who wins? 1-A has gotta represent, right?"

Kaminari didn't mean it in a bad way. He wasn't purposely trying to insult her, but that didn't lessen the impact of his words. Could he have meant that he didn't want to fight her because they were classmates? Distantly friends, but friends nonetheless? Absolutely. Was that what he actually meant? Probably not.

He had seen her fight before, and he still thought that this would be an easy win. He wasn't sorry because they were friends or classmates, but because he knew she wanted to move on and felt guilty that he would be putting her fight for the finals to an end before it had even really began.

"Of course, Kaminari-kun!" She answered, hoping that she didn't let her anger seep into her voice. "It will be a well deserved win either way!"

"Glad you agree!"

Uraraka shook as she walked to her starting point. Did anyone believe she had a chance?

"Our next match will be between 1-A's Kaminari Denki and Uraraka Ochako!" Present Mic announced.

She grinned as Midnight raised her hand. Kaminari underestimated her. Everyone underestimated her. And she was going to show them just how disastrous that mistake would be.

"Match start!"

"Sorry about this, Uraraka-san," Kaminari said, shifting his feet to brace himself.

Electricity exploded across the field as soon as he finished speaking, spreading out, racing towards her almost too fast to comprehend. Uraraka lunged, diving down beneath the bolt seconds before it made contact. Throwing her hands out to break her fall did nothing to stop the pointed sting as her skin scraped across the concrete. The air above her burned as the electricity fizzled out, leaving only the sharp smell of ozone behind as it dissipated.

Across the field, Kaminari wavered. The burst hadn't been enough to push him to his limit, but he clearly hadn't counted on her being able to react in time to avoid the strike. Uraraka pushed herself to her feet. Scorch marks littered the ground around her where tendrils had struck, but nothing had been knocked loose his his attack. Getting close enough to use her quirk on Kaminari himself was still the only option she had.

Running had never been a strong point for Uraraka-something she made a mental note to work on as soon as the festival ended- but she gritted her teeth and ran towards the other end of the field as fast as she could. Kaminari didn't move as she advanced, launching another bolt of electricity her way.

The roll she executed to avoid that one wasn't as clean as she would have like, but after a second to recover her balance she was running once again. Kaminari's eyes widened, and he reeled back out of her reach as he threw out another burst.

The downfall of Kaminari's quirk though was that he didn't have precise control over the electricity he produced, and he hadn't asked for anything to help him direct it. If he wanted to increase his chance of hitting her he would have to widen the field. He couldn't afford to do that so close to his limit and with her moving towards him unobstructed.

The bolt missed her by a foot.

Think, Ochako, think. She needed to get close enough, but what could she do?

What would Deku do?

Not pausing as she ran, Uraraka slipped her jacket off, holding it tightly in her hands. It took less than a second to activate her quirk and, making sure she had a solid grip, lobbed the jacket straight at Kaminari's head. He sputtered as it made contact with his face, stumbling back as he tried to pull it off.

That was all the opening Uraraka needed. Closing the remaining distance between them, she grabbed Kaminari's arm. His feet lifted from the ground immediately.

"What?" Kaminari squeaked, still unable to see what was happening. His arms pinwheeled through the air as he struggled to remain upright and get the jacket out of his face at the same time.

"Sorry about this, Kaminari-kun," Uraraka said, and with a gentle push let him drift out of bounds.

Kaminari ripped the jacket free just in time to see the white line pass below him.

"Winner: Uraraka!"

 **AN:** Sorry this chapter took so long. It really didn't want to cooperate, but I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.

Next Up: A short intermission, Dad Might, and the start of Round 2

Thanks to everyone who commented!


	17. Chapter 17

The single most important thing Hitoshi had learned from his quirk over the years was the importance of words. The significance of a phrasing. The necessity of choosing his words with the utmost care.

In the beginning when his quirk had first manifested he had to be careful to make sure he didn't accidently give someone an order he didn't mean. As the years had passed though, Hitoshi had learned to think before he spoke for an entirely different reason. The versatility that came with a quirk like his had a limit. Getting the verbal response was easy enough. People were predictable, and Hitoshi had perfected the art of goading them into responding even when they knew the conditions of his quirk.

What to say-now that was the hard part. People followed the orders he gave them when under the influence of his quirk but that was exactly the problem. Too complicated or too long and the orders wouldn't stick. Too vague and a strong willed person could take advantage without knowing what they were doing. An order could become a nudge. A suggestion towards a direction that might not be the one Hitoshi had intended.

Bakugou Katsuki for example.

Hitoshi should have known better than to try his quirk on Bakugou. "Win the match." That was what he had told him to do. The moment Bakugou had stormed off Hitoshi had known he had messed up. Too direct, but too vague, and it had almost ended in disaster. There had been no way for him to know that Bakugou would interpret the suggestion like that, no way to know that Todoroki would respond to his actions so strongly. He wouldn't make that mistake with Midoriya.

Out of all of the arrogant heroes to be at Yuuei, Hitoshi couldn't name a specific reason why he dislike Midoriya more than the rest, but it was true. All smiles and bumbling confidence, if that was even possible. When he had made it through the first event without using his quirk until the last minute Hitoshi thought that he might have been different, that he might have been something more than an overpowered quirk like that idiot Bakugou. And then the second event came around and that chance had been blown away in one throw. Literally. While everyone had been staring at the damage Midoriya had caused, Hitoshi had been watching Midoriya's reaction. He had been just as shocked as everyone else in the arena.

He had a quirk like that, a quirk perfect for heroics, and he didn't even know how to use it. So maybe Hitoshi knew why he hated Midoriya after all.

The students in the hero course had it so easy. The only thing they had to worry about as a result of these events was how many sponsors they would get for their internship, and even if they somehow messed up they would still have a chance to make up for their mistakes. They would still get an internship even if they didn't get a sponsor. Hitoshi didn't have a second chance.

The entrance exam had been a joke, but he had known it would be a long shot to begin with. The public loved flashy quirks, and Hitoshi's ability was anything but. There were so many situations his quirk would be useful in, so many different ways that he could help people, but he had been turned away because he couldn't fight giants robots. Expecting the outcome didn't make it hurt any less when he got his letter. He had been accepted to the Gen Ed course, but according to Yuuei Shinsou Hitoshi was not fit to be a hero.

It was a set back, Hitoshi could admit it, but it wasn't his last shot. He was only a first year, after all. If he could draw some attention at the sports festival and prove that his quirk had potential he still had a chance. Gen Ed students moving to the hero course was rare, but it wasn't unheard of. Aizawa had done it. Hitoshi could do it too.

His performance in the first event had been solidly middle of the pack, but that had been the point. He had skated into the second event with no one thinking he was a threat, and then Bakugou and Todoroki- potential disasters aside- had ensured that no one would consider anyone else in their group. Hitoshi entered the first round of the final event as the only Gen Ed student to make it that far. Anything he did from that point on would be noteworthy for that fact alone, but Hitoshi couldn't count it as a success yet. He had beaten one hero course student. He could beat another.

If he made it to the semi finals? If he managed to win? Yuuei couldn't claim that he wasn't worth their time. Not when he managed to win against their so called best. They would have to recognize that they had been wrong. Hitoshi could be a hero as good as the rest of them. Better even, because he had learned how to fight for what he wanted when he wasn't handed his dreams on a silver platter.

But he had to make it to the next round to do that and that meant winning against Midoriya Izuku and his monster quirk. Hitoshi couldn't wait to show everyone just how powerless a quirk like that could really be. And all it would take was a single word.

* * *

The first round of the final event ended much faster than Izuku had expected. Out of the seven people making it to the second round only one of them wasn't a 1-A student, and of course that had been who Izuku would have to face in the first match of round two. During their brief break between rounds he had given up his chance of talking to Toshinori again to question Aoyama about what had happened during his fight with the Gen Ed student, but his classmate had been surprisingly closed lipped about the details.

"Did you get any hint of what his quirk might be?" Izuku had asked, corning Aoyama in the stands the moment the last match between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu had been called. "Did he say anything that might have given it away?"

Aoyama's face flushed, and he refused to meet Izuku's eyes as he fiddled with his belt. "He said a lot of things, Midoriya. I'm not going to repeat them. All I can say is if I were you I wouldn't let him get started. Don't engage, just end it."

It wasn't the most helpful advice in terms of figuring out Shinsou's quirk, but Izuku thanked Aoyama and moved aside so that his classmate could leave the stands. Shinsou hadn't participated in the second event that he had seen, and if he had his quirk was most likely one that hadn't been affected by the ball's copying. That narrowed down the possibilities a little bit, but not enough for Izuku to have any idea what he might be facing in the next round.

Shinsou had tried to fight Aoyama before using his quirk, so maybe he would do the same with Izuku. If he had managed to get the better of Aoyama by taunting him, Izuku hoped that he would assume the same method would work with him as well. After Takahashi's sessions nothing Shinsou Hitoshi could say would have their intended effect. Not like they had with Aoyama.

Izuku would have to figure out something when the time came. He would save One for All as a last resort and hope that the training he had gotten with Takahashi would be enough to get him through one round without having to visit Recovery Girl afterwords. He wasn't quite sure what she-or Uraraka for that matter- would do if he needed to visit her office again.

With nothing else to do in the short time before the start of the next round, Izuku headed down to the arena entrance to wait and try not to worry about what was going to happen next. While he would have preferred to have a plan in place before stepping out onto that field, he would have to make do. Improvisation had always been a strong suit of his anyway.

"Welcome back everyone for the start of our second round!" Present Mic's voice called out over the arena as Izuku stepped out onto the field. He could see Shinsou eyeing him from the other side as the rest of the pro heroes and students returned to their seats. "Gen Ed student Shinsou Hitoshi vs. the hero course's Midoriya Izuku! They've both made quite the impact on this year's sports festival, but who will be moving on to the semi finals?"

Present Mic continued to talk, drawing the rest of the arena into his excited energy, but Izuku tuned him out. He needed to stay calm, focus on what he was going to do. Getting caught up in Present Mic's hype wouldn't help him accomplish either of those things.

He had gotten through his fight with Hanta. He could get through this one too. He just needed to be careful. He didn't need to know Shinsou's quirk to beat him. It would help, of course. But Izuku had been in difficult situations before. Shinsou might have been creative enough to get through all of the previous events without the hero course's intense training- and that definitely made him a threat Izuku needed to take seriously- but when it came to actual combat experience Izuku had him beat.

Izuku had never had the benefit of more experience before though, and he had always done okay. He couldn't assume that he would win just because he was in the hero course. Not only was that a level of arrogance he refused to ever allow himself to reach, it would be an insult to everything Shinsou had done to reach this point. Izuku wouldn't be another Bakugou.

"But that's enough talk, let's get this started!"

Midnight stepped back onto the platform. "If you both would please step onto the field."

Izuku did as she asked, moving into the safety of the dirt away from the lines. Shinsou moved inside too, not taking his eyes off of Izuku. Something about his eyes and the exhaustion lining his face reminded Izuku of Aizawa. They both had that same expression of being permanently exasperated with their surroundings that Izuku had come to expect from their homeroom teacher.

Maybe his quirk was something like Aizawa's too. Quirks in the hero course tended to be flashy and noticeable, but that wasn't the case for all of them. If Shinsou had a quirk that didn't have immediately visible effects- or visible effects at all- Izuku would have to be even more careful. He should have considered that earlier when no one had been able to recall seeing him use his quirk, but he was glad that he had thought of it now.

Izuku wasn't ready, but Midnight's voice echoed through the arena. "Start!"

In his fight with Hanta Izuku had made sure to make the first move, to close the distance between them before Hanta had the chance to use his quirk against him. Now though, he let Shinsou come to him. With no way of knowing what his quirk was, Izuku didn't want to risk falling into whatever trap Shinsou had likely planned on setting.

Shinsou may have beaten Aoyama, but it was immediately obvious that he had no real training. He moved quickly, and the moment he was within reach of Izuku he swung. There would have been enough power in that punch to hurt if he managed to make contact, but Izuku stepped back smoothly out of the way as Shinsou lunged to far forward with the throw.

Putting aside the question of his quirk for the moment, Izuku had spent enough time watching heroes and how they fought to know that if Shinsou Hitoshi had the proper training he would be dangerous. As it was though, he had overcompensated and it wasn't much for Izuku to twist away from him, gripping Shinsou's arm as he turned, slinging him towards the boundary of the arena and away from him.

The Gen Ed student stumbled at the shift in momentum but didn't fall. Izuku thought that he would try again, but Shinsou stood his ground, watching him.

"You think you're better than me, don't you?" Shinsou asked, his voice deeper than Izuku had expected, his tone bland. Izuku didn't answer. Whatever Shinsou's goal was with this conversation, whether he meant to distract him or to goad him into attacking, Izuku couldn't get involved. He would ignore him until Shinsou made another move towards him. They weren't close to the line yet, but if Shinsou's second attack was anything like his first Izuku could take advantage of it. He stood tense, ready to react, watching Shinsou as Shinsou watched him.

"You hero course students are all the same, you know that?" Shinsou continued when it became clear that Izuku wasn't going to answer. "You don't have to work for anything that you have, you get handed every opportunity, and yet you think that your successes are deserved."

Izuku could have argued back, could have told Shinsou about the intense exercises the hero course students are put through almost daily, the struggle to get enough sleep after exhausting days at school on top of homework, and research, and actually still having a life. Mentioning that he had been quirkless before Toshinori approached him would have been pointless, no one would believe him even if he was willing to give up the secret.

Nothing about Izuku's journey to where he was right now had been easy, certainly not lately. He didn't know if Shinsou knew about what had happened, if he would bring up the League to try to throw Izuku off, but he still didn't respond to Shinsou's words, nails digging into the palm of his hand as Shinsou smirked.

"How does it feel to be All Might's favorite?" Shinsou asked next.

Izuku started to protest on instinct. He cut himself off before he could voice his issues with Shinsou's assumption, but the damage had been done. Shinsou's smirk grew.

"Didn't know that the gossip had spread all the way down to us Gen Ed students, did you? People have been saying it for a while now, but after that display last event I can see why. Weren't you worried about what would happen to the people on the other side when you threw that ball? Or were you too excited about an opportunity to show off much much better you are to think about the people who might have gotten hurt because of your quirk? If Cementoss hadn't been there who knows what might have happened."

He had known that, of course. Had worried about the same thing once the second event was over. But how was he supposed to have known that the ball would react to One for All that way? There was so little he knew about his own quirk he would never been able to anticipate a reaction like that. Especially when the ball wasn't even supposed to replicate a quirk's full capacity. Izuku felt sick when he thought about what could have happened, but he hadn't done it on purpose.

Shinsou stepped closer, edging around Izuku. "Is that why All Might likes you? Thinks that with your quirk you could be just like him one day? There are rumors about him down here in Gen Ed too, you know. Rumors about his rumors even. A quirk that powerful, there are bound to be accidents. A learning curve, I supposed you could say, with some disastrous results."

He was just trying to make him mad. His words were nonsense. Izuku knew that. It didn't stop the surge of anger that rose at the expression on Shinsou's face though. "With a quirk like yours I bet that's always a problem. Causing damage like that, you must wonder whether people like you because of who you are or whether it's just because of what you can do."

Izuku was an idiot to ever think that Shinsou Hitsohi wouldn't be capable of saying anything that could hurt him. The Gen Ed student might have only spoken to him one time before their fight, but he seemed to be able to hit every single one of Izuku's insecurities. His friends, he knew, truly liked him. That was a novel enough thing on it's own. But Izuku had been quirkless far too long to take the reactions of the rest of Yuuei at face value. Would they have even given Izuku the time of day before Toshinori passed on One for All? Izuku wanted to think that they would, that they would have liked him regardless, but he couldn't be sure. His lack of a quirk had been so important to people before.

He wanted Shinsou to shut up and attack him already. Izuku could out wait him, let him think that his words were having not effect. He could end it once Shinsou moved again, as long as he struck before Shinsou used his quirk. If he used his quirk.

"After seeing the second event," Shinsou continued, "you could probably knock me out of bounds with one punch, but you didn't use your quirk last round. Why was that, Midoriya? Are you afraid you might hurt someone? Can't even control your own quirk properly and you're in the hero course. What a joke. Is that the best those teachers can do?"

The best thing to do would be to let Shinsou continue to talk. Izuku still didn't know what type of quirk he had. He still had no idea what kind of trap he could be rushing into, but he couldn't stand to listen to Shinsou for one more minute. Shinsou might be trying to use words to take Izuku apart, but two could play at that game. Izuku should be just as good at picking Shinsou apart. He had had plenty of practice with Takahashi in that regard as well, after all.

"Shut-"

Shinsou lunged before Izuku finished speaking. "Let me hit you."

The demand was ridiculous, but Izuku found himself locked in place as Shinsou moved closer. He tried to move out of the way, but his body refused to cooperate. His bones felt like lead, heavy and solid. Shinsou's technique wasn't any better this time around, but it didn't need to be when his target wasn't moving.

Whatever hold Shinsou had on Izuku released him the moment that Shinsou's hit landed, allowing Izuku to trip over his own feet as he tried not to get a face full of dirt. The moment he righted himself the strange locked sensation snapped back into place.

Shinsou grinned at the panic that must have been clear on his face. "There is a benefit to being in the Gen Ed course. No one pays enough attention to us to know about our quirks. Now. I want you to pretend to fight me. Make it look real, but don't hurt me. Don't touch slowly towards the line over the next two minutes, then let me knock you out of bounds. Do not attempt to win. Do you have a problem with that plan?"

Izuku wanted to argue, wanted to fight back, but Shinsou's quirk still had him rooted in place.

"Start when I say go."

As soon as Shinsou spoke it was like Izuku's movements were on autopilot, swinging at him just off enough to not do any damage as they inched closer and closer to the boundary. Izuku tried to force his way through the control, but no matter how hard he tried to control his actions he couldn't make himself stop.

His response. That must have been what activated Shinsou's quirk. The whole time Shinsou had been badgering him he hadn't activated his quirk. It was only when Izuku tried to argue back that he had been frozen. He had done a good job of keeping that requirement hidden. No wonder he had gotten through his fight with Aoyama so quickly.

Shinsou had planned everything well, keeping that condition secret, but he had made one gaping mistake. Izuku had two minutes now to figure out a way around the situation. But what could he do? Attack Shinsou. Don't hurt him. Let him push him out of bounds. If Izuku was working on the assumption that he would have to follow Shinsou's orders to the letter-and that was probably the safest option- that didn't leave him a lot to work with. He could probably find a loophole in those orders somewhere.

What had Shinsou said exactly? Pretend to fight. Don't touch him. Move slowly towards the line...Shinsou hadn't said how close to get, and Izuku had already gotten closer to it than he was when he started. Would that be enough? Don't attempt to win…

But what if he attempted to do something else? All quirks had limits. Talking had probably been what allowed Shinsou's quirk to activate, could there also be a way to end the effects? Izuku struggled to remember what he knew about mind control quirks. They weren't the most common of quirks, but they weren't exactly rare either. A lot of hero movies used quirks like that for their main antagonists, and they all had they same fail safe. Pain. What luck that Izuku couldn't use his quirk without some backlash, and as long as he didn't use it with the intention of winning there would be no problem. At least, he didn't think there would be.

Izuku stopped trying to fight Shinsou's control and focused on One for All, drawing the power up from the hidden well it sat in waiting to be used. He still wasn't use to the feel of it, the constant thrum of electricity that seemed to buzz just under his skin, but it was easier to reach for it than it had been in the beginning when he had had no clue what he was supposed to be feeling let alone what he was supposed to be doing.

In his mind's eye he poked gently at the light that he tended to picture One for All as, willing it to rise to meet him. In the past when he did this it had responded like a tsunami, washing over him with such force that he could feel himself being dragged in its wake. He could direct it, but he couldn't stop him bones from being shattered in the process.

This time though, when Izuku reached for the light his vision went dark. He could still feel his body moving, still see the blurry outline of Shinsou in front of him, but it was as though another image had been filtered over it. He could feel Shinsou's control tighten as if trying to force the vision away, but the darkness snapped out shoving the image to the front of Izuku's mind.

A shadowy figure stood in front of him. It only took a moment for Izuku to recognize the outline of Toshinori. The image zoomed in, racing passed the Symbol of Peace to show the outline of a tall woman, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail. There was another man after her, followed by two women, then the images sped up too quickly for Izuku to make out more than a blur off people. At the end of the line light exploded. Red, green, blue, purple lightning arced out towards him.

Then suddenly it vanished, leaving Izuku with his hand raised to the sky, broken fingers burning.

Izuku looked Shinsou in the eyes as he took a clear step away from the line and grinned.

* * *

He had been right about one thing. Recovery Girl had not been happy to see him again. She had healed his fingers with an icy glare and sent him out with a demand that he not need her services for the rest of the day. Realistically speaking, Izuku hadn't been able to make any promises about keeping himself injury free during the semi final, but the look on her face in response to his sheepish comment had sent him on his way faster that he would have gone otherwise. He would just have to hope for the best.

When he stepped out into the hallway it was empty. Everyone seemed to have gone to watch the second match of the round, and Izuku couldn't blame him. That was the good thing about going first. At least he could watch the rest of the round without having to stress about his own performance. If he hurried he might even make it back to the student section before the end of the second fight.

He had almost reached the end of the corridor when he felt eyes on his back. Someone was watching him, and it put him instantly on edge. Stopping abruptly, Izuku whirled to look behind him. The hall was empty, but the feeling didn't disappear.

"Midoriya Izuku."

Izuku froze, his heart leaping to his throat. He recognized that voice, but that didn't make sense. Izuku turned back to the stairs. No one was there.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need you to come with me."

Bolting, Izuku started back towards Recovery Girl's office. She was the closest person, even if her quirk wasn't ideal for combat. If he could just get there.

"Don't worry. We'll let your teachers know where you went."

Out of the corner of his eye Izuku could see the portal opening under him, the wispy purple and black mist that Izuku had never wanted to see again. He couldn't outrun it, and he couldn't do anything to stop himself from falling into the empty nothingness.

The portal snapped closed behind him.

 **AN:** This chapter is long overdue, and I didn't mean for it to go so long without an update. When my classes started again I could only manage to keep up with one project, and then once the semester was over I had lost a lot of the motivation I had for this fic. The rest of it is outline, and updates should continue on a more or less regular basis from now on.


End file.
